THE LONG REACH OF TINY BIRDS - Hummingbirds are inspiring new cross- border conservation efforts between Mexico and the United States - aiding hummingbird migration

Luckily, Mexican ecologists can draw on reams of San Pedro data already compiled to the north. "Many successful studies on avian and woodland conservation have been done in Arizona, including practical strategies on water conservation, native plants reforestation, bird surveys, public outreach and land management," Gomez says. "Sonora, for its part, has only recently started to study its part and begin planning to implement strategic conservation actions."

Meanwhile, yet another strategy is at work near Mexico's San Pedro. Through their Corredor Colibri Project (Spanish for "Hummingbird Corridor") conservationists Juan Caicedo and Jennie Duberstein are planning a series of pollinator gardens through this rugged region laced by tree-lined streams and small mountain ranges.

They're also presenting economic alternatives to destructive agricultural practices, such as over-grazing. Caicedo saw a glaring need for action while here researching his senior thesis for Prescott College. "Including drainages, there are about 40 miles of the San Pedro River on this side, and they haven't gotten the attention they deserve," Caicedo says.

Despite a shoestring budget and no institutional support, they've already helped develop school wildlife programs, a budding wetland near municipal wastewater ponds in the border town of Agua Prieta and ecotourism that encourages ranchers to protect riverside areas by carefully managing their cattle. This growing tourist trade on the Mexican side of the border is likewise a boon to area residents, who serve meals to visitors.

The birding tours are conducted by the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory (SABO), a conservation education group based in Bisbee, Arizona. The outings build awareness among visitors and provide residents with incentives for good conservation, says Sheri Williamson, author of Hummingbirds of North America and a SABO naturalist. "Just across the border is a land of tremendous poverty, where dollars brought in by tourists can make a huge difference. And the one tourist resource that these communities offer is migrating birds.

"Rural communities on either side of the border are stewards for these resources," she says. "If we can find economic incentives for better stewardship of these resources, then we all win."

Back in Patagonia, Marion Paton already claims a victory of sorts: Every day still brings a new palette of colors to her backyard, where she's now watching the breakfast rush finally ebb.

Shadows shrink as the sun steadily climbs. Still, lunch is mere minutes away for these voracious diners.

"Hummingbirds should be protected," Paton says firmly, "not just for me, but for people who come here from all over the world to see them. These are such small, beautiful and delicate creatures."

Almost on cue, the brazen rufous buzzes past. Delicate maybe, he seems to say, but also extremely determined to survive. Fortunately, he has many equally committed fans in this hummingbird-rich region, where dull lines on a map just can't compete with brilliant flashes of orange, green and blue.