Birdwatching

Rufous-Crowned Sparrow

Birdwatching opportunities change with the seasons. Spring brings migrating songbirds to fill the woods with song. Scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, and warblers declare their territories as nesting season approaches. Glades along southern bluffs provide nesting sites for rufous-crowned sparrows, rarely seen in other areas of Arkansas. Roadrunners seek lizards and snakes on these arid sites. Vultures nest in inaccessible crags. Raptors use updrafts to glide past bluffs during fall migration. Many hawks, eagles, and falcons have been seen here.

Rufous-crowned sparrows (Aimophila ruficeps) are common in western states. However, here in Arkansas they nest only on the south facing bluffs of Mount Magazine. This is the eastern most reaches of its breeding range. Many birders come to Mount Magazine to add this species to their life lists.

Mount Magazine
Birding Checklist