Sanhill Cranes

USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0

Colorado Birding Hotspots

Colorado’s varied terrain and diverse ecosystems attract a wide range of bird species. Although any time of year is a good time to go birding in Colorado, spring is especially fruitful as this is when migrating waterfowl, shorebirds and passerines mix with resident species to swell the population of birds across the state.

Whether you are a beginning birder or can immediately tell a green-winged teal from a blue-winged teal, the Colorado Birding Trail is a great resource to map out your next birding adventure. Broken up by Eastern Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Western Colorado, the Trail provides an extensive list of birding hotspots as well as descriptions of different habitats and tips on how to be a respectful birder.

Here is just a glimpse of some must-see stops on the Colorado Birding Trail to get you started. 

Eastern Plains

The Pawnee National Grassland is a wonder to behold. Located in the far northeast corner of Colorado, these 193,000 acres contain views that go on forever, broken up only by the Pawnee Buttes reaching toward puffy white clouds moving across the sky. This sheer expanse of grasslands can be a bit intimidating. Luckily for birders, the folks at the U.S. Forest Service and a couple of local Audubon groups have joined forces to put together a self-guided birding tour complete with numbered stops and advice on what birds to look for where.

At Stop #4, scan for burrowing owls sharing the dusty ground with prairie dogs and listen as both creatures sound the alarm when red-tail and ferruginous hawks are spotted overhead. Spring is a great time to watch for Colorado’s state bird, the lark bunting, at Stop #5. Keep your eyes peeled for black-masked loggerhead shrikes guarding their nests in shrubs littered across the abandoned homestead at Stop #7. Allow three hours for the full 21-mile tour.

When you go

Pawnee National Grassland: fs.usda.gov/r02/arp/recreation/pawnee-national-grassland

Pawnee National Grassland Bird Tour: fs.usda.gov/r02/arp/recreation/pawnee-bird-tour 

Denver

A trek into the wilderness is not a requirement for birding in Colorado. There are plentiful places like City Park, an urban oasis in the heart of Denver about 15 minutes east of downtown. Highlights of the city’s largest park include the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Zoo, which as a side note is a wonderful place to see birds from faraway lands such as the great hornbill and the east African crowned crane. But getting back to the local avian population, City Park’s 330 acres also feature plenty of lakes and green space that attract a range of wild birds native to Colorado.

Follow the loop that encircles Ferril Lake to observe double-crested cormorants stretching out their long thin necks to dive for fish before moving to the nearby treetops to spread out their great black wings to dry off. A short stroll then brings you to Duck Lake to see American white pelicans float in formation and hear their heavy wings slap the water as they lift to the sky.

When you go

City Park: cityparkalliance.org/birding

Rocky Mountains

The Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge lies in the fairly remote north central section of Colorado two hours west of Fort Collins. At an elevation of over 8,000 feet, it is the highest refuge in the lower 48 states. You may expect to go birding on a mountain top when hearing this. But the refuge actually sits in a wide intermountain glacial basin which consists of a large expanse of flat land providing habitat for migratory birds and nesting waterfowl as well as large mammals such as pronghorn antelope, black bear and moose.

It takes a little effort to get here, but the reward in bird sightings is well worth it. Enter the refuge from the north and catch the 6-mile auto tour that leads past the many ponds and wetlands to see ruddy ducks and other waterfowl tending to their nests. Spring migration brings in shorebirds such as red-necked phalarope and stilt sandpiper. Expansive fields of sagebrush spread out beyond the water where splendid greater sage-grouse congregate. Extremely fortunate birders will catch the aerial mating display of a male short-eared owl rising to impossible heights, then clapping its wings as it plummets towards the ground.

When you go

Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge:   fws.gov/refuge/arapaho

South-Central Colorado

Sandhill cranes are the main draw at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge located in south-central Colorado between the towns of Monte Vista and Alamosa. The refuge and surrounding San Luis Valley attract around 25,000 cranes each spring during their long migration. The cranes spend their days resting in the protected wetlands and refueling in the recently plowed grain fields between mid-February and early April.

Bundle up for early morning forays into the refuge when the cranes are most active. Imagine the thrill of witnessing these majestic creatures with wingspans that can reach 7 feet soar across a sky framed by the snow-covered San Juan Mountains at first light. Time your visit to coincide with the Monte Vista Crane Festival held in early March to take part in guided tours and attend talks about the cranes and other bird species found in the area like snowy egret, American avocet and white-faced ibis.

When you go

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge: fws.gov/refuge/monte-vista

Western Colorado

In sharp contrast to the lush San Luis Valley, the arid environment of the Colorado National Monument just outside of Fruita welcomes birders to a landscape of red-rock cliffs and mesas that rise over canyons choked with juniper bushes. To best explore its 20,000 acres, follow Rim Rock Drive that climbs and dips 23 miles through the heart of the monument and take advantage of the numerous hiking and mountain biking trails that branch off from it.

Look up to see golden eagles and turkey vultures riding currents of warm air against a cloudless blue sky. Listen as the screams of red-tailed hawks and the cackles of ravens echo off the canyon walls. Look down to see Gambel’s quail perform their cartoonish scamper across the paths of rust-colored dirt as Woodhouse’s scrub jay dart among the gnarled mass of a pinyon pine.

When you go

Colorado National Monument: nps.gov/colm

Mesa Verde

So often, the best birding experiences occur when you have the opportunity to observe these beautiful creatures in unexpected places while at the same time learning so much more about the amazing world that surrounds us. Nowhere is that more evident than in Mesa Verde National Park. The main draw of Mesa Verde is the chance to see and explore ancient dwellings that were carved into the sheer cliffsides by Ancestral Puebloans over 800 years ago. Being able to watch as birds fly about these dwellings and flit among the trees above and below the cliffs is an experience you will not want to miss.

The park is home to over 200 species of birds that take advantage of the varied elevations and ecosystems within its borders that include open meadows, thick forests of Douglas fir, and high elevation stands of mountain mahogany and Gambel oak. Listen for the staccato drumming of hairy woodpeckers perched on the side of hollowed-out trees and look for black-headed grosbeaks and spotted towhees among the branches of juniper bushes. Follow sleek white-throated swifts as they zoom among the cliff dwellings. If you are lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of a rare Mexican spotted owl roosting in one of the windows.

When you go

Mesa Verde National Park:             

nps.gov/meve

When you go

For more information on the Colorado Birding Trail, visit coloradobirdingtrail.com.