Free and Sovereign State of Sonora

Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus ©Alan Vernon - Wikimedia Website
Birding Sonora

Sonora is one of the 31 federal states of Mexico and is located in the northwest of the country.

Sonora’s shores are washed by the Sea of Cortez in the Gulf of California, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean further south. Sonora is thus linked to the so-called “Pacific Rim,” which offers ample opportunities for economic development as well as many challenges and opportunities for sustainable use of its natural resources. The Sonoran coastline is 1,208 km long.Sonora borders the state of Chihuahua to the east, Sinaloa to the south and Baja California to the northwest; to the north it shares an extensive border with the U.S. state of Arizona and a shorter one with New Mexico. To its west lies the Gulf of California; the state of Baja California Sur also shares a maritime boundary with Sonora.

The border with Chihuahua is 592 km, and the border with Sinaloa is 117 km. Sonora’s border with Arizona is 568 km long, and its border with New Mexico is 20 km long; these borders allow for multiple economic, cultural, and political ties with the United States. The state’s total perimeter is 2,505 km. Sonora is the second largest state in Mexico (184,934 km²), representing 9.2% of the nation’s total area. Sonora consists of four physiographic regions: The Sierra Madre Occidental, Parallel Mountains and Valleys, the Sonoran Desert, and the Coast of the Gulf of California. Sonora is located in a climactic strip in the northern hemisphere that has formed various deserts around the globe. The state is located at the same latitude as the deserts of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and other regions.

Contributors
Useful Reading

  • The Birds of Sonora

    | By Stephen M Russel & Gale Monson | University of Arizona Press | 1998 | Hardback | 362 pages, distribution maps, Black & White Illustrations | ISBN: 9780816516353 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Organisations
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • BR Pinacate

    WebpageSatellite View
    The Pinacate Reserve and the abutting Gran Desierto de Altar Reserve are less than a day`s drive from the US-Mexico border. Together, the two contiguous reserves protect the sea, coast, and inland desert. El Pinacate stands out for its easier access as well as because of its surreal beauty…
  • NR Monte Mojino Reserve

    WebpageSatellite View
    ReMM lies within the Alamos Federal Reserve, a federally protected area of roughly 247,000 acres established in 1996 and overseen by CONANP, Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas. This area was established with the help of Alamos residents and covers the watershed of the Río Cuchujaqui, a pristine tributary of the Río Fuerte (the headwaters of which have been made famous by the Copper Canyon or Barranca del Cobre). It is home to five cat species, including the iconic jaguar, and provides an important habitat to migrating birds.
  • SP Cajón del Diablo

    InformationSatellite View
    El Cajón del Diablo is a special Biosphere Reserve located west of the State of Sonora ( Mexico ), between the municipalities of Hermosillo and Guaymas . It has an area of ​​147000 Hectares.
  • SP Campo Verde - Northern Jaguar Reserve

    InformationSatellite View
    The reserve was mainly established to protect the jaguar, which is still found in the reserve. In addition, the reserve is home to three other cat species: puma, bobcat and ocelot. Important prey species of the large cats are white-tailed deer and javelinas. There are 215 species of bird in the reserve, which include typical neotropical species, like the military macaw and typical North American species like the bald eagle, which has its southern range limit here.
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Solipaso Tours

    Tour Operator
    We were fortunate enough to have inherited a lot of information about the avi-fauna that exists in southern Sonora. A long history of ornithological explorations had ventured into the area to study what was here. More recently, Alamos has become a very popular destination for recreational birders from the USA looking to venture out of the ABA area.
Trip Reports
  • 2017 [08 August] - Max Berlijn - Arizona and a bit of Northern Mexico

    PDF Report
    Annotated list
Places to Stay

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