Backyard birds in Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Which birds visit Rio Rancho yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Rio Rancho's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 35.233°, -106.664°
- Population
- 87,521
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 32 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 47 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:35 AM / 5:51 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 4b–9a
Nesting timing in Rio Rancho
The state guides give nesting windows for New Mexico as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 34.7°N). Rio Rancho is at 35.2°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts about the same time as the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Rio Rancho goes from 9 h 47 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 32 min in June, a 4 h 45 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window May–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
- House Finch — state window April–August
- Mourning Dove — state window March–September
- American Robin — state window April–July
- Dark-eyed Junco — state window May–July
Birds you can expect in Rio Rancho
Year-round residents (78)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Northern Mockingbirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Mountain Chickadees, Bushtits, Juniper Titmice, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Lesser Goldfinchs, Cassin's Finchs, Spotted Towhees, Canyon Towhees, Gambel's Quail, Western Bluebirds, Mountain Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, Black Phoebes, Gila Woodpeckers, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Cactus Wrens, Curve-billed Thrashers, Verdins, Pyrrhuloxias, Bewick's Wrens, Eurasian Collared-Doves, Inca Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wild Turkeys, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Phainopeplas, Black-throated Sparrows, Pinyon Jays, Western Screech-Owls, Band-tailed Pigeons, Vermilion Flycatchers, Canada Gooses, American Coots, Killdeers, Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Barn Owls, Burrowing Owls, Horned Larks, Cactus Wrens, Greater Roadrunners, Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackles, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (39)
House Wrens, Common Grackles, Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Costa's Hummingbirds, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, White-winged Doves, Gray Catbirds, Western Tanagers, Hooded Orioles, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-breasted Chats, Warbling Vireos, Western Kingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Spotted Sandpipers, Green Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Ospreys, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Blue Grosbeaks, Varied Buntings, Yellow-billed Cuckoos
Winter visitors (16)
American Goldfinchs, Cedar Waxwings, Anna's Hummingbirds, White-crowned Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Red Crossbills, Green-tailed Towhees, Hooded Mergansers, Orange-crowned Warblers, Merlins, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Lewis's Woodpeckers, Yellow-headed Blackbirds
Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Rio Rancho
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Rio Rancho, sunrise is around 6:35 AM in mid-April, 5:51 AM at the June solstice and 7:11 AM in late December (local time, America/Denver). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Rio Rancho yards
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Blue fruit on red stems in early fall.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Nearby cities in New Mexico
- Enchanted Hills — 8 mi away, nesting about the same time as Rio Rancho
- Albuquerque — 10 mi away, nesting about the same time as Rio Rancho
- South Valley — 15 mi away, nesting about the same time as Rio Rancho
- Los Lunas — 30 mi away, nesting about the same time as Rio Rancho
- Santa Fe — 51 mi away, nesting about the same time as Rio Rancho
- Gallup — 119 mi away, nesting about the same time as Rio Rancho
Frequently asked
What birds live in Rio Rancho all year?
Year-round residents across New Mexico include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Rio Rancho.
When do birds start nesting in Rio Rancho?
Rio Rancho sits at a different latitude from New Mexico's population centre, so nesting runs about the same time as the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Rio Rancho?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Rio Rancho, sunrise is around 6:35 AM in mid-April and 5:51 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — New Mexico
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.