California Gulch
California Gulch is famous and on every visiting birder’s plans given its ready access to two target species, Buff-collared Nightjar and Five-striped Sparrow. While each can now be found at other sites, some more accessible, no where else will you have a better chance of visually seeing the nightjar. It’s still the only place in the US where a nest has been found. At the same time, its remote location just a couple of miles from the border provides visitors with an exciting adventure while birding in solitude to find something new for their list, say Montezuma Quail, Elf Owl, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet. Walking through the narrow valleys, being alert for anything, who knows when the next Mexican visitor might make their appearance here, perhaps Nutting’s Flycatcher or even Rusty Sparrow? No Arizona birding adventure is complete without at least one stop here.
Site Information
Region: Tucson and Southern
County: Santa Cruz
Directions: Turn off I19 at the Ruby Road exit #12 and turn right/west. Take this road west past the Pena Blanca Lake turn-off and continue ~26 miles to FR217 where you will turn left/south. The north end of the gulch can be reached after ~3.7 miles after passing a cattleguard. At the saddle, park to the left and hike down into the gulch on the old road. The south end can be reached in another 1.2 miles.
Latitude: 31.421725
Longitude: -111.240739
Operational Hours: Open all year, 24 hours a day
Admission or Fees: None
Best time to visit: Summer is the most promising time to find the two target species, Buff-collared Nightjar and Five-striped Sparrow, but birding any time of year can be exciting.
Habitats: Grassland, Pinyon-juniper Forest
Know Before You Go
The roads in are probably not practical for some sedans and in the wetter monsoon period, they can challenge many 4WD's. As the area is quite remote from any facilities and has no cell phone coverage, birders should be prepared for emergencies that can occur in such an area.
Safety First! Arizona has many beautiful places to explore and we’d like to help you make it a safe and enjoyable experience. Check out our recommendations for hiking precautions.
Species Highlights
Rare: Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Buff-collared Nightjar, Five-striped Sparrow
Speciality: Elf Owl, Gray Hawk, Montezuma’s Quail, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Varied Bunting
Charismatic: Black-throated Sparrow, Brown-crested Flycatcher
Contact Information
Coronado National Forest
Additional Resources
Learn more about birds reported at this location at eBird:
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L128930
