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Recreation in Southern Arizona: Birding

Recreation in Southern Arizona

The Arizona Office of Tourism web site calls southern Arizona, among other things, a “hotbed of bird-watching.” And indeed, the area is known across the United States and abroad for the abundance and variety of avian species that either live here all the time, or merely stop over temporarily. For example, Ramsey Canyon, a Nature Conservancy preserve in the Huachuca Mountains, provides habitat for hundreds of bird species. Throughout southern Arizona, the mountains and adjacent areas provide abundant opportunities as well for hiking, rock climbing, camping, picnicking, wildlife viewing, visiting local astronomical observatories, and even skiing on occasion.

Recreation in the Upper San Pedro River Basin: Birding

The Upper San Pedro River, flowing just east of the Huachuca Mountains, is one of the WALTER study areas. The area hosts many birding sites, two of which are very well known: Ramsey Canyon Preserve, owned by the Nature Conservancy, and the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, managed by the US Bureau of Land Management. These areas are located within a larger area of favorite birding sites, including Garden and Carr Canyons in the Huachucas.

A survey of 843 visitors to these areas provides a valuable profile of the demographics and behaviors of birdwatchers.The survey indicates that, as a subpopulation of recreationists, birders are relatively wealthy, well-educated, and tend to be repeat visitors to the area. Almost three-fourths of respondents indicated that they belonged to organizations supporting wildlife, or were concerned with conservation. The mean household income of these individuals was relatively high, at $94,000. Two-thirds had completed college. Slightly more than half were employed either full-time or part-time. The size of visitor groups ranged from two to as many as 40 people. The larger groups were organized by entities such as Elder Hostel, Cub Scouts, universities and school groups, and others.

Most visitors to the area are very active bird watchers, spending on average 53 days a year pursuing their hobby (see right sidebar). Among the favorite birder species are the elegant trogon, montezuma quail, rufour copper warbler, vermillion flycatcher, and various kinds of hummingbirds.

Ramsey Canyon visitation estimates, derived from sign-in logs maintained at the Preserve, show that as many as 28,000 people have visited the preserve over the course of a year. Recent numbers are below this 1992 figure, perhaps due to the effects of stock market decline on retirees’ disposable income and introduction of an entrance fee in mid-2000.

Numbers for visitation at the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area are not as readily available because the area has numerous entry points. However, estimates indicate that more than 35,000 non-residents may visit the area annually.

Revenues from activities such as birding can be important to communities, particularly with regard to expenditures for lodging. The survey found that two-thirds of visitors used commercial lodging in the Sierra Vista-Huachuca City urban complex; 55% stayed in commercial lodging, 35% used RV park or campground facilities. Given that 83 percent of respondents indicated that they stayed overnight, and that average expenditures were around $97 per night for an average stay of 4.7 nights , birding may well be a significant source of local revenue. Day-trip birders, by contrast, indicated that they stayed an average of just under 5 hours and spent an average of about $24 per day. These expenditures were largely for food and beverages, gasoline and miscellaneous purchases. All told, the study found that visitors spent from $10.1 to some $16.9 million while visiting the area.

Direct spending by visitors only tells part of the story, though. When indirect and induced effects are also considered, a better picture can be painted of the total economic effect of visitor spending. In this case, including these additional effects produces a higher total impact on the local economy of $17.0 to $28.3 million, and 350 to 590 jobs.

For a complete report on the importance of birding in the Upper San Pedro River basin, see Orr, Patricia and B. Colby. 2002. Nature-Oriented Visitors and Their Expenditures: Upper San Pedro River Basin. Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, February 2002. 14pp.