Birds that call Arizona‘s desert ecosystem home — including the state’s iconic cactus wren — are in serious decline, according to a sweeping new conservation report.
Why it matters: Birds are indicators of the overall health of their habitats and signal early warnings of broader trouble. If these habitats can’t support birdlife, they likely can’t sustain other wildlife — or even humans — for long.
State of play: Since 1968, the West has lost almost half of aridland bird habitat to drought, wildfires and invasive plants, per the North American Bird Conservation Initiative’s 2025 State of the Birds report.
- Nearly a quarter of the 31 aridland birds included in the analysis are considered “tipping point” species, meaning they could vanish without urgent conservation action.
- This includes the sagebrush sparrow, black-chinned sparrow and Pinyon Jay, which can be found in parts of Arizona.
The big picture: It’s not just Arizona. Researchers tracked species nationwide and found declines almost everywhere — even among birds once thought resilient, like waterfowl.
- Roughly one-third of U.S. bird species — 229 in total — are now classified as high or moderate conservation concerns.
What they’re saying: “It’s a reality check for us, every time we do one of these,” Mike Brasher, co-chair of the report’s science committee, told Audubon magazine.
- “Threats to birds [and] bird habitat are as great now as they have ever been, and they’re accelerating, in most cases,” Brasher said.
What’s next: Scientists are calling for bigger investments in habitat protection — particularly on private lands and in partnership with local communities and Indigenous nations.
- A conservation project that began in Arizona and has expanded across the southwest has led to proactive habitat protection for the Bendire’s and LeConte’s Thrasher, both of which are “tipping point” species.
This article by Alayna Alvarez and Jessica Boehm was first published by Axios Phoenix. Lead Image: The cactus wren is among the Arizona bird species seeing population declines. Photo: Jon G. Fuller/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images.
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