With fifteen species of hummingbirds, elegant trogon, sulphur-bellied flycatcher, black-capped gnatcatcher, flame-colored tanager, thirty-six species of wood warblers, and over 256 species of birds documented in total, Madera Canyon is rated the third best birding destination in the United States.
Lower Sonoran Zone (0 to 4,500 feet) - This life zone extends from above the mouth of Madera Canyon down to the Santa Cruz Valley.