NPS Photo / Nicholas Goodman Over 200 species of birds inhabit the riparian (areas located near water) and upland habitats at Montezuma Castle National Monument. Although the number of species observed each month is highest during the breeding season, partly due to a large number of migrating birds, species richness is high during non-breeding seasons as well. During the breeding season, black-throated sparrows, Bewick's wrens, and brown-headed cowbirds are among the most common species. Because a variety of habitats are present, even the most predominant species in a given year accounted for no more than 12% of the species observed. The number of breeding species within the monument (49) is high, given the small area, and reflects the topographic and habitat variability that occur here and the presence of substantial amounts of good quality riparian habitats. Approximately 75% of the breeding species are neotropical migrants and, therefore, leave the monument and Verde Valley during the fall or winter following the breeding season. As a result, there is a major change in the ecology of the monument between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Similar patterns have been shown along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. In fact, most of the riparian breeding species in the Southwest are neotropical migrants that winter elsewhere, such as Central and South America. 
USFWS Photo / Alexander Galt Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)A common species of duck seen in Montezuma Well in the cool season, the vague, reddish “ring” around the male’s neck is not usually visible. Males have yellow eyes and are boldly black and white. Both males and females have gray bills with a white ring around the black tip. These birds are often seen in other wetlands in the area between fall and spring.
NPS Photo / Nicholas Goodman American Wigeon (Mareca americana)Not to be confused with pigeons, American wigeons are one of the most common ducks seen in Montezuma Well. Males have green “eyepaint” and white on the top of their heads. Both males and females have blue bills with a black tip and rust-colored bodies. Montezuma Well is a popular rest stop for waterfowl during migration, but some stay in the Well for weeks or months at a time. Instead of a quack, male wigeons make a wheezy, laugh-like whistle.
USFWS / Ernesto Gomez Sora (Porzana carolina)If there’s a sora in Montezuma Well, you will probably know. These unusual looking birds give a loud, whinny-like call from where they forage among the cattails and reeds at the edge of the water. Soras have yellow bills and their gray and brown coloring help them blend in to their surroundings. They are one of the birds that feed on some of the unique invertebrates that live in Montezuma Well. Soras are found in wetlands across North America.
NPS Photo / Andrew Cattoir Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii)Quails are shy and typically travel in groups. If you see a male perched high up, it’s possible that he’s watching for danger for the rest of the group. Quails are small, chicken-like birds with a long plume sticking out from their heads. Both males and females have plumes, but males are more brightly colored and have longer plumes. Shortly after they hatch, baby quails are able to follow their parents.
Photo by Adam Jackson via CC0 Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus)If you visit Montezuma Castle in the summer, there is a good chance you will hear or see one of the black hawks that return to nest in the park each year. Adult birds are mostly black except for a white band near the end of their tails and a yellow face. They are fairly active during the day and often heard if nearby. These birds prefer to hunt along Beaver Creek for crayfish, young turtles, fish, and lizards. They can be seen soaring along the cliffs or perched in trees along the creek. The birds that return to Arizona spend their winters in Central America.
NPS Photo / Antonio Gallardo Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna)Anna’s hummingbirds are the only hummingbird found in the Verde Valley parks year-round. When seen from the right angle, adult males have bright pink feathers on their face, throat, and head that extend toward their shoulders. During courtship displays, males will fly up over 100 feet above a female before diving down quickly. Their song is squeaky and very high-pitched. In addition to nectar, these birds will also eat insects and sometimes steal insects from spider webs.Learn more about hummingbird research at Montezuma Castle. 
Photo by Claude Lyneis via CC0 White-throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis)Blending in seamlessly with cliff-nesting swallows, swifts are seen in the summer flying in and out of crevices above Montezuma Castle where they return to nest. Colonies of these birds can number several hundred and they can be noisy. They are extremely agile in flight, swooping and diving after insects and even skimming water to drink mid-flight.
NPS Photo / Andrew Cattoir Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)These iconic desert birds are usually on the move and don’t stay in one place for very long. From time to time, they are spotted at the Verde Valley parks, often in open desert scrub. As their name suggests, roadrunners spend most of their lives on the ground and can run about 20 miles per hour. They feed on small mammals, lizards, insects, and even young rattlesnakes. Although they are not immune to rattlesnake venom, they use their agility to catch and kill prey.
USFWS Photo Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)Unlike Old World cuckoos, yellow-billed cuckoos usually raise their young themselves, but sometimes lay eggs in the nests of other birds. Cuckoos return to the parks in the summer and are usually heard rather than seen. They are a species of interest in the Verde Valley and are monitored by natural resources staff as their numbers have declined dramatically in the last century and breeding populations in the western US are isolated and fairly small. These birds hunt for insects in forests and dense shrubs.
Photo by andrew2285 via CC0 Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis)These noisy woodpeckers are a common sight in the forests around Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well year-round. In the US, they are mostly found in Arizona. In other parts of their range, the nests they drill into saguaros are reused by birds and other animals including elf owls. In the Verde Valley, they usually nest in mesquite trees. Males have a red spot on the top of their head.
NPS Photo / Mary Lewandowski Common Raven (Corvus corax)A familiar sight in many parts of the world, ravens are one of the most common birds in the Verde Valley parks. They are much bigger than crows and have wedge-shaped tails. Ravens are extremely intelligent and make a variety of calls and noises and can even imitate human voices. Often, they are seen flying above or perched along the cliff at Montezuma Castle and can be easy to mistake for vultures.
NPS Photo / Jane Gamble Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens)These flycatchers are sometimes called “black cardinals” due to their appearance, but they are not related. Phainopeplas (pronounced fay-no-PEP-la) are year-round residents that feed on fruit and insects. Their favorite food is desert mistletoe berries. Males are shiny black with white wing patches and females are mostly gray. Both have red eyes and cardinal-like crests. They are known to mimic other bird calls.
NPS Photo / Andrew Kuhn Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus)The Verde Valley is home to several species of wrens including the rock wren. These plain brown birds can be seen patrolling outside the Montezuma Castle visitor center in search of spiders and insects. They are found in areas with rocks for them to nest in such as the hillside at Montezuma Castle. They make a variety of calls and songs.
NPS Photo / Abi Farish Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus)Canyon wrens are more often heard than seen. Their loud, cascading song echoes across the valleys and cliffs they nest in. They are small, rust-colored, and have a large white patch on their throat. These wrens make nests in cliff cavities to keep their young safe from predators and are sometimes seen clinging to sheer rock faces. Like other wrens, they feed on insects and spiders.
Photo by Don Wellmann via CC0 Lucy’s Warbler (Leiothlypis luciae)This summer resident is common in the parks, but easy to overlook. They spend most of their time looking for insects among trees and are plain gray with a brown patch on the rump. Males have a brown spot on their heads. They are one of the only warblers that nest in cavities such as those created by woodpeckers.Select a Park:Select a Species Category (optional):
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Last updated: August 1, 2026