Stateline Rd. (Hidalgo Co.)

Stateline Rd. (Hidalgo Co.)

Rodeo, New Mexico 88056

Tips for Birding

Stateline Road is on the Arizona-New Mexico border. Birds observed on the west side of the road are in Cochise County, Arizona. Birds observed on the east side of the road are in Hidalgo County, New Mexico.

Birders who carefully keep bird records according to the state or county will want to be aware of the location of the state line in this area.

There is a hotspot, Stateline Rd. (Cochise Co.), that may be used for birds seen in Arizona.

About Arizona-New Mexico Stateline Road

See all hotspots at Arizona-New Mexico Stateline Road

Stateline Road, with an approximate elevation of 4,100 feet, is a good dirt road under dry conditions. However, it becomes very slippery after heavy rain. White-tailed Kites have nested near Rodeo, and Bendire’s Thrasher is easy to spot along the road in spring and summer. Cactus Wren and often Cassin’s Sparrow are also easy to find here. North of Rodeo on NM-80, Harris’s Hawk is a possibility on tall poles and in dead trees. New Mexico’s only documented Black Vulture was photographed here in 1996.

Habitat: Semidesert grassland, desert scrub, and agricultural lands.

When you turn off of AZ-80 onto AZ-533 you will come to a cattle guard. At that guard, you will see Stateline Road.  This 4-mile-long road will have brushy areas with Bendire’s Thrashers, Cassin’s Sparrows, and possibly a White-tailed Kite.Take NM-80 back to AZ-533. While passing through Rodeo be on the look for Inca Doves, Gila Woodpeckers, and Great-tailed Grackles.

Content from Southwest New Mexico Birding Trail and Birding Map for Portal, Arizona