NeilyWorld Birding Southern Arizona |
The Santa Cruz Grasslands southwest of Eloy is nearly all irrigated farmland with patches of scrubland and weedy fields. The crops are mostly cotton, but some turf farms break the monotony and attract uncommon species such as Mountain Plover in winter.
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One of the highlights of this area is the variety of raptors one can see here. Red-tailed and Ferruginous Hawks, Crested Caracara, Prairie and Peregrine Falcons, Merlin, American Kestrel can all be seen here while searching for Mountain Plover. Burrowing Owl can be seen in this area as well. Ditches and roadsides are often alive with a variety of sparrows and buntings in winter.
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