If you live in the Valley, you don't have to travel far to find world-class birding. From the cottonwood-shaded ponds at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve to the desert washes of the McDowell Mountains, more than 400 bird species have been recorded in Maricopa County — and most of the best spots are within a 45-minute drive of Scottsdale.

This isn't a comprehensive list — Arizona has hundreds of birding hotspots — but these are the locations we recommend most often to customers at Wild Birds Unlimited Scottsdale. We've included a mix of riparian areas, desert preserves, urban parks, and a few hidden gems that locals love. Bring water, a hat, and your binoculars.

East Valley & Phoenix Birding Hotspots

1. Gilbert Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch

The Gilbert Riparian Preserve is one of the most reliable birding spots in the state. Seven water-recharge ponds surrounded by native trees attract more than 200 species across the year — including Black-crowned Night-Herons, Cinnamon Teal, Vermilion Flycatchers, and Burrowing Owls. Open dawn to dusk, free, easy paved paths. Best time: early morning, year-round.

2. Salt River — Bush Highway Recreation Area

The lower Salt River corridor along the Bush Highway (Granite Reef, Phon D Sutton, Coon Bluff, Goldfield Recreation Site) is a riparian oasis in the Sonoran Desert. Look for Bald Eagles in winter, Common Black-Hawks in spring, Yellow-billed Cuckoos in summer, and Wild Horses any time. Tonto National Forest day-use pass required at most stops. Best time: sunrise, October–April.

3. Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

About an hour east of Scottsdale near Superior, Boyce Thompson is a springtime migrant magnet. The riparian path along Queen Creek funnels warblers, vireos, and tanagers through in April and May. Easy 1.5-mile loop, admission required. Best time: April and early May for migration.

4. Usery Mountain Regional Park

Classic Sonoran Desert birding just outside Mesa. Gambel's Quail, Cactus Wrens, Curve-billed Thrashers, Gilded Flickers, and Greater Roadrunners are essentially guaranteed along the Wind Cave and Merkle trails. Maricopa County Parks day-use fee. Best time: early morning, all year.

5. McDowell Sonoran Preserve (Scottsdale)

Right in our backyard — over 30,000 acres of protected desert with multiple trailheads (Gateway, Lost Dog Wash, Tom's Thumb). Excellent for desert specialists like Black-throated Sparrows, Phainopeplas, and Costa's Hummingbirds. Free parking, well-maintained trails. Best time: early morning, year-round; coolest October–April.

6. Papago Park

Phoenix's iconic red-rock park sits next to the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden. Easy loop paths around small lagoons attract herons, egrets, and ducks. Cooper's Hawks nest in the eucalyptus trees. Free, central, family-friendly. Best time: early morning before crowds.

7. Desert Botanical Garden

Membership pays for itself if you visit often — the garden's native plantings attract Costa's, Anna's, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds in numbers. Verdins, Curve-billed Thrashers, and Cactus Wrens are residents. Excellent photography opportunities. Best time: open year-round; spring blooms peak March–April.

8. Tempe Town Lake

The lake itself draws gulls, cormorants, and waterfowl, but the real magic is the riparian edge below the dam, where Black-crowned Night-Herons and Great Blue Herons roost. Easy paved loop, multiple parking lots, free. Best time: sunrise or sunset.

9. Tempe Marketplace North Parking Lot Overlook

A local secret — the dirt overlook on the north side of Tempe Marketplace borders the Salt River bottomlands. Surprisingly productive for raptors, swallows, and the occasional Crissal Thrasher. Free, drive-up access. Best time: late afternoon.

10. ASU Research Park (Tempe)

The ponds and palms inside the Research Park host a winter population of ducks, geese, and an occasional vagrant. Burrowing Owls have nested on the margins. Walkable from the south side of the campus. Free. Best time: winter mornings.

11. Veterans Oasis Park (Chandler)

A 113-acre park built around a recharge basin, with an environmental education center, a 4.5-acre lake, and dense mesquite bosques. Reliable for Gambel's Quail families in spring and waterfowl in winter. Free, paved paths, restrooms. Best time: early morning, fall through spring.

12. Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center (Phoenix)

Audubon's downtown Phoenix flagship sits inside the restored Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area — 600 acres of cottonwoods, willows, and water along the Salt River. Free admission to the trails (center building requires admission). Best time: early morning, October–April.

13. Tres Rios (Avondale)

Where the Salt, Gila, and Agua Fria Rivers meet — one of the largest restored wetlands in the desert Southwest. Permit required from the City of Phoenix (free, request online). Excellent for shorebirds, ducks, herons, and rarities. Best time: winter and migration.

14. Glendale Recharge Ponds

A no-frills cluster of recharge basins in the West Valley that consistently hosts the Valley's best variety of waterfowl and shorebirds in fall and winter — including rarities that draw birders from across the country. Free, drive-around access, no shade. Best time: September–March, early morning.

What to Bring

  • Water — more than you think you need, even in winter.
  • Binoculars — 8×42 is the all-around sweet spot.
  • A field guide or app — Merlin Bird ID (free from Cornell) is excellent and works offline.
  • Sun protection — hat, sunscreen, long sleeves.
  • Sturdy shoes — most paths are easy but some have loose gravel or thorns.

Best Times to Bird in the Valley

The Phoenix metro has two peak birding seasons. Fall through spring (October–April) brings cooler temperatures plus thousands of wintering ducks, sparrows, and raptors from farther north. Spring migration (March–May) adds dozens of warblers, vireos, tanagers, and flycatchers passing through. Summer birding is slower and hotter, but early mornings can still produce great desert species.

Want to Bring the Birds to You?

While you're out exploring, don't forget about the birds in your own backyard. Wild Birds Unlimited Scottsdale carries the seed, feeders, baths, and houses that turn an ordinary yard into a Valley birding hotspot of its own. Shop online anytime at mywbu.com/scottsdale or call us at 844-928-7333 Monday through Friday.

Have a favorite spot we missed? We'd love to hear about it — give us a call or stop by next time you're picking up seed. Happy birding!