White-nosed Coatimundi Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: What an unexpected treat! In December 2018 we took a Christmas vacation down to Arizona. One of our favorite places to visit when we're there is Madera Canyon, one of the most famous birding places in the country. While watching the array of birds come to the feeder complexes at the famed Santa Rita Lodge, there first was a commotion in the bushes behind the feeders. It wasn't long before the source made himself known...a very fat White-nosed Coatimundi! It's the first (and only) one I've ever seen, and it soon became clear why he was there...sugar! Sugar water in the hummingbird feeders, to be precise. As we watched, he slowly strolled out of the forest and into the clearing with the feeders, and then right towards where we were standing. We literally had to back up and give him space, as he looked at us, kind of just shrugged his shoulders at our presence, and then went up to the hummingbird feeder in front of us and tipped it down, draining a heavy stream of sugar water down his throat. And down his face. And on his flanks and belly! It didn't take long for him to drain the whole thing, and when he was done, he slowly strolled back to the trees, climbed up, and proceeded to spend the next half an hour grooming himself. Or more precisely, licking all the sticky sugar water off of his fur!

Not a bird, but the highlight of our visit to Madera Canyon that year.

White-nosed Coatimundi - Nasua narica


White-nosed Coatimundi 1 December 27th, 2018 Madera Canyon, Arizona	White-nosed Coatimundi 2 December 27th, 2018 Madera Canyon, Arizona	White-nosed Coatimundi 3 December 27th, 2018 Madera Canyon, Arizona	White-nosed Coatimundi 4 December 27th, 2018 Madera Canyon, Arizona

White-nosed Coatimundi 5 December 27th, 2018 Madera Canyon, Arizona	White-nosed Coatimundi 6 December 27th, 2018 Madera Canyon, Arizona	White-nosed Coatimundi 7 December 27th, 2018 Madera Canyon, Arizona