

SOUTHWEST WINGS
Birding and Nature Festival in Sierra Vista, Arizona
Greatest Little Birding Festival in the United States - since 1991
Our mission is to promote nature-based tourism and environmental awareness in southeastern Arizona
​FIELD TRIPS | Guides | TRIP TIPS​ | KEYNOTE DINNER | FREE PROGRAM | PRESENTERS

2025 summer festival
free program
Thanks to the generous support of Dutch Nagle
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All of these programs are absolutely free and open to everyone. No registration is required.
We hope that many people will attend and learn about this amazing place, southeastern Arizona. Some lectures are associated with field trips, for which there is a registration fee and a charge. Please see the Field Trip Section for details.
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The free talks program will be held in Lecture Room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites which are within walking distance from The Mall at Sierra Vista. Please make some time to see these free events.
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The free bird walks will meet at Garden Canyon Linear Park, St Andrews Drive parking lot (see Map).
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TALK DESCRIPTIONS
All talks will be held at the Fairfield Inn & Suites.
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
12:00-1:15 PM
Janet Trumbule: The Parrot Crisis / Harms to Parrots, People and Ecosystems
Too many parrots suffer in captivity while wild parrot populations are endangered worldwide. Join us to learn about the essential work of The Oasis, an organization dedicated to providing life care for parrots exploited by the pet trade. Discover the impact on parrots, people, and ecosystems, and how we can make a difference together. This presentation will shine a light on the urgent crisis affecting our feathered friends and the world around us.
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1:30-2:45 PM
Eric Moore, Owner, The Outlook: Optics Basics - Understanding Binoculars & Spotting Scopes
Learn the basics of optical equipment used by birders for nature observation such as magnification, diopter setting, interpupillary distance, exit pupil and more. This presentation will discuss the pros and cons of many varied optics available to consumers. Time will also be devoted to looking at the many options with spotting scopes and tripods. If you have been considering upgrading your optical equipment this presentation will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn about things to consider before purchasing new equipment.
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3:00-4:15 PM
Priscilla Brodkin: Butterflies for Birders
Take a virtual field trip identifying and photographing the butterflies of SE Arizona. We will concentrate on butterflies in taxonomic order with emphasis on food & nectar plants plus behavior and defense mechanisms! Join the co-author of Butterflies of Arizona for this special trip filled with the BEAUTY of nature and remember, when the birding is slow, butterflies emerge to fill out your day.
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Thursday, July 31, 2025
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7:00-9:00 AM
Eric Moore: Focus on Optics - Bird Walk Sponsored by Swarovski Optik
Eric is the owner of The Lookout (formerly Jay's Bird Barn) and will lead a guided bird walk. This bird walk will focus (no pun intended) on the basics of optical equipment designed to enhance a bird watcher’s experience in the field. Loaner pairs of both Vortex and Swarovski binoculars and spotting scopes will be available for participants to use at no charge. The bird walk will include a demonstration and instruction on digi-scoping - taking digital pictures using the latest spotting scope technology.
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Meeting place: Parking Lot at Garden Canyon Linear Park See Map
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10:30-11:45 AM
Stephen Vaughn: Exploring Arizona’s Pygmy-Owls
Come join us for an engaging and enlightening program that takes a closer look at the captivating world of Arizona's Pygmy-Owls. Arizona is fortunate to host two distinct species - the Northern Pygmy-Owl and the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. This program is a deep dive into the lives of these fascinating birds, shedding light on their biology, ecology, and conservation status, with a special emphasis on how they adapt to the unique Arizona desert environment. What sets this program apart is the invaluable firsthand observations of Steve Vaughan, a seasoned owl expert with decades of experience. For the past seven years, Steve has dedicated his efforts to studying owls, particularly in southern Arizona. This means you'll get a firsthand account from someone with an intimate knowledge of these remarkable creatures, going beyond what's readily available in published materials.
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12:00-1:15 PM
Rick Wright: Invaders: Irruptive Birds and Their Stories
Many birds travel regularly between one place and another, migrating from site to predictable site, season by season. Others are less reliable in their movements; crossbills, nutcrackers, waxwings, and chickadees can appear at virtually any time of the year virtually anywhere, staging massive incursions into an area in one season and utterly absent the next. How have humans sought to explain these irregular invasions? Join Rick Wright to examine the sometimes startling and often humorous interpretations put forth over the ages.
1:30-2:45 PM
Glenn Minuth: Eco Surprises: A Few Unexpected Topics Notable in Nature
Yes, a surprise: You won’t know until you arrive as to what will be presented! What’s going around you today and the world you live in? This program will have multiple topics of interest to a general audience. We will look at a few noteworthy matters of contemporary significance to assist you in understanding ecosystems.
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3:00-4:15 PM
Katie Matthiesen: Monitoring Arizona’s Avifauna to Advance Conservation and Volunteer Opportunities
Arizona's birdlife is particularly diverse with more than 550 native bird species documented in the state. About 230 of these are migratory species that regularly spend part of their annual life cycle (breeding, migrating or wintering) within our borders. As part of our Wildlife Conservation Strategy, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has identified 157 bird species as Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Katie will describe how the Department works to address data needs to understand the magnitude of threats on bird populations and ways to mitigate those threats. Through our AZ Coordinated Bird Monitoring Program, we work with partners and volunteers to implement projects to determine species status, distribution and long-term population trends for breeding and wintering birds. Some of these projects are part of long-term national efforts while others are statewide periodic surveys, not to mention we conduct species-specific surveys as well as coordinating The Colonial Nesting Waterbird Survey.
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4:00-5:30 PM
Rich Bailowitz: Another Glimpse at the Dragonflies of Southeast Arizona
This presentation will cover characteristics of members of the order ODONATA, which comprises both damselflies and dragonflies, what we see and what we don't. More than 100 species are known from Cochise County where our Festival is located, and many are featured in this discussion.
Friday, August 1, 2025
7:00-8:45 AM
Kathe Anderson: Introduction to Birdwatching - Bird Walk Sponsored by Swarovski Optik
This is an introduction to local birds, geared for beginning adults who are interested in what may be showing up in their backyards. As we stroll the area we’ll talk about common species, vocalizations and behaviors. At about 8:45am we will head indoors to go over a list of what we’ve seen and answer questions. Walking Difficulty: Easy
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Meeting place: Parking Lot at Garden Canyon Linear Park See Map​
10:30-11:45 AM
Kate Hotten: Wildlife Crossings in the Sonoran Desert
The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection will talk about its work on the Sonoran Desert's first wildlife bridge, built in 2016 on Oracle Road, and other wildlife crossings in the region. We will share success stories and ongoing challenges from our work to advocate for these structures and their funding!
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12:00-1:15 PM
Kathe Andersen: Vultures and Condors
Many folks dismiss vultures as ugly birds with a bad reputation, but they figure prominently in mythology all around the world for reasons that may not be immediately obvious. Find out what’s unusual about these amazing birds and why they are critical to our ecosystem.​
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1:30-2:45 PM
Karen Krebbs: The Exciting Night Life of Bats!
More than 1,400 species of bats occur worldwide. Arizona has 29 species of bats. Bats are an important part of our ecosystems and deserve our respect and admiration. Echolocation allows a bat to fly in total darkness to locate, chase, and capture flying insects. Nectar bats visit and pollinate columnar cacti and succulents in our area. Join us for an interesting and exciting lecture on bats!
Karen will lead a car caravan field trip to Ramsey Canyon to view nectar bats feeding at 7:00 PM on Friday. Limit of 10 participants. This is a paid trip, please book via the field trip registration page.
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3:00-4:15 PM
Nora Synder: Poetry with Wings
This presentation is like no other at Southwest Wings- there will be NO bird facts, only bird JOY and bird INSPIRATION and bird SYMBOLISM. Join poet Nora Snyder for a reading of bird related poetry and an exploration of how birds lend themselves to creative expression and enrichment of human experience.
4:30-5:45 PM
Megan Resor: Power Lines and Wildlife: A Cooperative Approach to Avian Protection
This presentation will explore the importance of avian protection in rural electric cooperatives, focusing on mitigating bird-related power outages, ensuring regulatory compliance, and implementing best practices for bird-safe infrastructure. We will discuss common avian hazards associated with power lines, the impact on system reliability, and cost-effective solutions such as retrofitting, pole design modifications, and exclusion techniques. By proactively addressing avian protection, we can enhance service reliability, reduce liability risks, and contribute to wildlife conservation efforts. Discuss biological monitoring measures implemented in riparian areas.
Saturday, August 2, 2025
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7:30-9:00 AM
Clay Taylor: Beginner Birders Fun-damentals! Bird Walk Sponsored by Swarovski Optik
Have you ever wandered through a park, saw a bunch of people all dressed alike in khaki-colored clothes, and wondered what the heck are they looking at? Well, it’s time to find out! Whether you’re experienced or novice, young or old, we invite you to join Clay Taylor from Swarovski Optik for a free, 90-minute stroll to get some fresh air, meet likeminded people, learn how to use binoculars, and maybe even identify a few birds!
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Meeting place: Parking Lot at Garden Canyon Linear Park See Map​
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10:30-11:45 AM
Glenn Minuth: How Birds’ Systems Work: The Avian Senses
All life senses the world around them in some way. The sensory system of birds is remarkably highly developed, equipping them to react quickly to alterations in their environment and within their own body. Many birds are endowed with excellent eyesight and hearing, bolstered by several other senses, some familiar and some bizarre to us. You will learn about specializations in eye anatomy, variations in avian eyes, ears and hearing, smell and taste, skin anatomy and touch, along with some extraordinary senses.
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12:00 - 1:15 PM (at the STAGE Inside The Mall at Sierra Vista)
SPECIAL KIDS EVENT!
Callie Caplenor: Amazing Animals
Owls, bobcats and skunks, oh my! Children will gain a deeper understanding of the desert ecosystem and the animals that inhabit it through handling furs and replica skulls and scat. We will analyze teeth and skull structure to determine if an animal is a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore and discover how fur patterns help animals camouflage. We will then work together to identify species and their adaptations before ending with reading a story about a unique desert animal!
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12:00-1:15 PM
Bill Cavaliere: Death in the Depths - the Hazards of Mining in the 1800s
The presentation depicts how dangerous mining was in southeast Arizona back in the 1800s. Many historic photographs are shown, as well as diary entries by pioneer miners, and comparisons to mining in Arizona today.
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1:30-2:45 PM
Jim Koweek: Creating Native Grass Refuges
For the last 4 decades Jim has worked with plants, seed, and rock in SE Arizona. To be honest, the results are not always pretty. Then again, having your career’s reputation dependent on moisture in the great Southwest is not a genius move to begin with. When not working, Jim can often be found playing mandolin at various water holes in the Sonoita - Patagonia area.​
3:30-5:00 PM (at the STAGE Inside The Mall at Sierra Vista)
Grasslands Duo - live music
The popular Grasslands Duo, Jim Koweek and Rana Murphy, will be laying down their signature mix of bluegrass and country. Stop by and enjoy some ear candy while checking out, local artisans, specialty vendors and exhibits for birding, wildlife, and nature enthusiasts as part of Southwest Wings 34th Summer Festival.
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3:00-4:15 PM
Charles Melton: Costa's Hummingbird - Hummingbird of the Desert
Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures and this species is no exception. Explore various aspects of its life including feeding, courtship, and nesting. This mostly video program will show how this diminutive bird survives in one of the harshest environments in the country
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4:30-5:45 PM
Roberto A. Wolf Webels: The Birds Under the Protection of the Northern Jaguar
Presentation about the events that inspired the establishment of the Northern Jaguar Reserve in Sahuaripa, Sonora, Mexico, and discussion about some of the local bird species that are protected under this conservation effort.
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