Essential New Mexico Birding: Bosque del Apache and Sandia Crest

Trip Description

Two of the top birding destinations in the US can be found in New Mexico: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and Sandia Crest. A large assortment of birds spend the winter between these two sites, which are just about two hours apart.

 

Sandia Crest is the place to see all three species of rosy-finches in one place - Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Black Rosy-Finch and Brown-capped Rosy-Finch. From the comfort of the restaurant here, you can watch these and other birds as they visit the feeders. Several higher elevations species add to the excitement of birding here.

 

Two hours to the south is Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. We will spend a lot of time driving the refuge’s loop roads, adding a large number of birds to our trip list. However, one of the highlights of a visit here is to see the spectacle of thousands of Sandhill Cranes, geese and ducks as they come in to roost at dusk, or head out to feed in the fields at dawn. We give you the opportunity to be in the right place to experience this wonder of nature on this trip.

 

Besides these wonderful sites, there is plenty of opportunity to find many more birds throughout the area. We are sure you will go home more than satisfied with your visit to New Mexico.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1:  Arrival in Albuquerque

 

Day 2:  Birding Albuquerque, Rio Grande, Petroglyph National Monument and Sandia Crest

 

Day 3:  Birding Albuquerque to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

 

Day 4:  Birding Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

 

Day 5:  Birding Percha Dam State Park, Caballo Lake State Park and Elephant Butte Reservoir

 

Day 6:  Departure home from Albuquerque

 

 

Download our detailed itinerary for our New Mexico tour, or read it below.