A Day at the Museum



View of the Avra Valley from grounds
of the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum.

Lush Sonoran Desert vegetation
grows on the museum's 21 acres.

In previous posts, I've mentioned the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum.  This world-renowned combination of zoo, botanical garden, research center, and educational medium is simply one of the best museums I've ever visited (and I've visited some outstanding ones, for example, the Smithsonian in Washington, DC).  Friends and relatives we've taken to this marvelous landmark unanimously agree with me.  A "living" museum, the facility focuses on the plants, animals, and geology of the Sonoran Desert.  It is an excellent introduction to this unique, lush, arid land that stretches across southwestern Arizona and western Mexico, including Baja California.  It is one of North America's four major deserts, the others being the familiar Mojave, Texas and New Mexico's Chihuahuan, and the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah. 

Paved and dirt pathways
wind through the desert.

A cactus garden on the museum grounds.



Orange-flowering species of Sonoran hedgehog cactus.

Yesterday, Keith, his brother Dean, his wife Elaine, a I made a return visit to this spectacular advocate of the Sonoran Desert.  Set in the Tucson Mountains, the museum overlooks the Avra Valley, providing visitors with breathtaking, panoramic views of this agricultural area flanked by the Baboquivari Mountains.  Two miles of paved and dirt walking paths wind through about 21 acres of typical Sonoran vegetation.  Along the way, live exhibits of native creatures in their natural habitat offer often up-close and personal views of mountain lions, coatimundi, coyotes, javelina, and prairie dogs, to name a few.   The museum comprises more than 300 animal species and 1200 plant varieties as part of its mission to intrigue and educate visitors.

Keith's photo of a prairie falcon cooling itself
during the Raptor Free Flight Program.

A Harris Hawk proudly shows off his stunning plumage.

Harris Hawk in "free flight."



A handler crouches near the hawk's perch.

The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum also sponsors various demonstrations that engage visitors in fun and interesting ways.   Raptor Free Flight is one of the most popular, and with good reason.  Two Free Flight programs are featured daily, between mid-October and mid-April.  The morning program highlights a variety of birds-of-prey including a great horned owl, prairie falcon, and ravens.  The afternoon demonstration showcases a family of Harris' Hawks.  During both programs, the various raptors fly free and museum staff offer interesting insights of these graceful but powerful birds.  Visitors are amazed when the birds swoop over them, flying so close that many people will duck.  Then the birds perch nearby and seem to preen as visitors "ooh" and "aah" over their beauty and abilities.   The shows were definitely the highlight of our day.


A hooded skunk ambles across stage during

the Running Wild demonstration.  Arizona is skunk

capital of the U.S. with four species of skunks gracing our landscape.

Two other demonstrations, Running Wild, and Live and (sort of) On the Loose, are held in the facility's auditorium (which is wonderfully air-conditioned).  Here, we not only learned about the ringtail cat, hooded skunk, Gambel's quail, and several other native desert creatures, we also watched them scamper, crawl, and waddle across the stage.  An unexpectedly engaging animal was the brown pelican.  He obviously enjoyed being a showman and displayed a mind of its own.  The pelican is part of the museum's fledgling efforts to focus on life in the Sea of Cortes.  This particular pelican was rescued as a juvenile when it was found unable to hunt for itself.  The big bird was also terrified of water!  Museum staff worked to rehabilitate it, and now the pelican is a wonderful educational ambassador (and he's no longer afraid of water, in fact, he has his own little pool).


One of my favorite spots on the museum grounds is the hummingbird aviary.  I love it as several species of hummingbirds zip and buzz around me and perch on nearby flowering shrubs and trees.  Another separate aviary contains dozens of birds endemic to the Sonoran Desert.   This aviary is often heard before it is seen as thick-billed parrots cackle raucously and Gila woodpeckers utter their laugh-like calls.

We had a delightful day at the museum, and look forward to many more visits there.  It is definitely a gem.