Tucson, Arizona 85743
El Rio Open Space Preserve webpage
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eBird Hotspot
El Rio Open Space Preserve
Coordinates: 32.394, -111.136
eBird links: Hotspot map – View details – Recent visits
My eBird links: Location life list – Submit data
Birding in Arizona
About El Rio Open Space Preserve
The El Rio Open Space Preserve, also known as the Coachline Gravel Pits, are publicly accessible gravel pits bounded by the Tucson Mountains and the Santa Cruz River, and owned by the Town of Marana. Tucson Audubon has worked on a riparian restoration project here, planting native vegetation, and it is on an Important Bird Area survey route. During rainstorms, the gravel pit fills with water, stays wet for months, and becomes a great spot to easily view waterfowl and shorebirds. Some birds encountered here have included Belted Kingfisher, Pied-billed Grebe, White-faced Ibis, Great Blue Heron, several duck species, Black-necked Stilt, and more. Even when the pond is dry, there are interesting birds to see. During summer, Bell’s Vireos nest in the tamarisk. Gilded Flicker, Lazuli Bunting, Gambel’s Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Peregrine Falcon, an Eastern Phoebe, and other species have been sighted. Take the Twin Peaks exit from I-10, go west and turn north onto Coachline Road. Drive past W. Oak Stream Road, and in approximately 0.15 miles turn right onto a dirt road; follow it a short distance to a parking area.
From Tucson Audubon Society