Reprinted by permission of the Tucson Bird Alliance. Written by Tom Brown, Paton Center Site Manager.
This year, the yard has recorded 190 species on eBird, and we had 4,470 checklists submitted by 2,630 birders—this makes the Paton Center #3 in the state for the number of eBird reports submitted in 2025. As amazing as that is, bear in mind that we average over 100 visitors per day, from 44 different states annually, and 9 foreign countries each month!
What were my favorite birds this year? Coming in at #3: the juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron that wandered in for a couple days, and was then found hiding in a car port in town. I brought it safely back to the Paton Center. The American Woodcock is #2, quite the center of attention for a few days along the road toward the Nature Conservancy Preserve. Drum roll please: #1 is the Flammulated Owl that hung out for a day on the new Birding Trail. I have heard many, but this was the first one I ever got to see!
Thank you to our staff, volunteers, and guests. It has been the most amazing year, and I look forward to seeing you all aging in 2026.