Las Cienegas National Conservation Area
This former ranch encompasses a very large expanse of managed grasslands providing ideal habitat for many grasslands species in Arizona. Birders year-round will find a number of interesting residents, from the Burrowing Owls amidst the Prairie Dog colonies to the hunting White-tailed Kites and Northern Harriers to the Lillian’s subspecies of Eastern Meadowlark. Walking the cottonwood gallery near the ranch headquarters and checking the spring often provides some surprising visitors. But perhaps the biggest attraction are the sparrows, with abundant Botteri’s, Cassin’s, and Grasshopper Sparrows as year-round residents to the teeming flocks of winter visitors including Chestnut-collared Longspurs, Savannah and Vesper Sparrows, and the more secretive Baird’s Sparrows. Birders any time of year can challenge themselves with both finding and identifying a number of interesting species, not usually associated with this state and much of the birding can be done from close to your vehicle while driving the unpaved but well-maintained roads of this NCA.
Site Information
Region: Tucson and Southern
County: Pima, Santa Cruz
Directions: A good starting point is the Empire Ranch, drive south on SR83 just past the Border Patrol checkpoint and turn left/east just past milepost 40. After ~4 miles, turn left/north into the ranch property.
Latitude: 31.785687
Longitude: -110.643109
Operational Hours: Open all year, 24 hours a day
Admission or Fees: None
Best time to visit: Any time of year can be productive for residents but winter is particularly attractive for the visitors from more northern grasslands.
Habitats: Grassland
Know Before You Go
This is a working area with ranching lands. Be aware of cattle. Visitors will find touring the restored and maintained ranch residences provides fascinating insights into what life was like on a large western ranch.
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
Speciality: Rufous-winged Sparrow, Scaled Quail, Zone-tailed Hawk
Charismatic: American Kestrel, Black-throated Sparrow, Burrowing Owl, Loggerhead Shrike
Contact Information
Bureau of Land Management
Website: https://www.blm.gov/visit/las-cienegas-national-conservation-area
Additional Resources
Learn more about birds reported at this location at eBird:
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L765027%20&%20https://ebird.org/hotspot/L765457
Additional Resources:
Empire Ranch Foundation
