Locations
Pine Grosbeak © Robert Royse
Birding Locations
We guide throughout the state and can meet you anywhere. Below are Colorado’s main birding regions along with a selection of their characteristic birds. Explore these regions and birds for inspiration on where to go and what to expect!
Denver - Boulder - Fort Collins - Colorado Springs
Front Range
A land of contrast–Colorado’s front range is where plains meet mountains and where urban meets wilderness. Characterized by foothills and dramatic red rock formations in places like Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks Park, the front range is also situated for easy escape into montane forests of the Rockies or shortgrass prairies in the eastern plains. The most populated zone of Colorado, man-made reservoirs have altered the wintering range of several waterbird species such that the region is a hotspot for rich waterbird diversity in late fall and winter.
This is the best region for foothills specialties like White-throated Swift, Virginia’s Warbler, and Canyon Wren. Wider-ranging species in the front range foothills include Flammulated Owl, Western and Eastern Screech-Owl, Common Poorwill, Clark’s Grebe, Western Grebe, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Bushtit, Mountain Chickadee, Juniper Titmouse, Western Bluebird, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Rock Wren, Bobolink, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin’s Kingbird, Dickcissel, Lazuli Bunting, Canyon Towhee, Spotted Towhee, and many others, overlapping with birdlife in the Rocky Mountains and Eastern Plains. Man-made reservoirs such as Pueblo Reservoir host up to 4 loon species at once in winter, including Pacific Loon, Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, and the occasional Yellow-billed Loon, along with a diversity of other waterbirds including Barrow’s Goldeneye and six species of grebe.
White-throated Swift © Matt Baumann, Virginia’s Warbler © Brian Genge, Canyon Wren © David Tonnessen, Flammulated Owl © David Tonnessen, Western Screech-Owl © David Tonnessen, Lewis’s Woodpecker © David Tonnessen, Pygmy Nuthatch © Brian Genge, Mountain Chickadee © David Tonnessen, Juniper Titmouse © Jack Parlapiano, Bobolink © Shailesh Pinto, Dickcissel © Shailesh Pinto, Canyon Towhee © Jodhan Fine
Estes Park - Gunnison - Aspen
Rocky Mountains
From Rocky Mountain National Park to the rolling sagebrush hills of the Gunnison Valley, Colorado’s Rocky Mountains are an icon of the American west and provide the most varied habitats and associated birdlife in the state. Montane forests with a rich diversity of conifers dominate the landscape, while sagebrush flats and alpine tundra provide habitat for highly specialized birdlife. Seemingly endless national forests with both ample camping and high-end mountain resorts make the Rockies accessible to a diversity of visitors. The region is known for both its high volume of breeding bird species and some key winter specialties.
Highly sought-after specialties include White-tailed Ptarmigan, Black Swift, and Brown-capped Rosy-Finch during breeding season, while winter offers close-up viewing of three rosy-finch species, adding Black Rosy-Finch and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch. Spring provides world-class Greater Sage-Grouse and Gunnison Sage-Grouse lekking spectacles. Wider-ranging specialties for the Rockies include Barrow’s Goldeneye, Dusky Grouse, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, White-throated Swift, Band-tailed Pigeon, Common Poorwill, Flammulated Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Western Screech-Owl, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Plumbeous Vireo, Canada Jay, Steller’s Jay, Pinyon Jay, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Black-billed Magpie, Pygmy Nuthatch, Bushtit, Mountain Chickadee, Violet-Green Swallow, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, American Dipper, Townsend’s Solitaire, Mountain Bluebird, Western Bluebird, Sage Thrasher, Say’s Phoebe, Western Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Cassin’s Finch, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Green-tailed Towhee, Sagebrush Sparrow, Brewer’s Sparrow, Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Bullock’s Oriole.
White-tailed Ptarmigan © Kadynn Hatfield, Black Swift © David Tonnessen, Brown-capped Rosy-Finch © David Tonnessen, Black Rosy-Finch © David Tonnessen, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch © David Tonnessen, Greater Sage-Grouse © Brian Genge, Broad-tailed Hummingbird © Brian Genge, Flammulated Owl © David Tonnessen, Northern Saw-whet Owl © David Tonnessen, American Three-toed Woodpecker © Brian Genge, Williamson’s Sapsucker © David Tonnessen, Pygmy Nuthatch © Brian Genge, Mountain Bluebird © Brian Genge, Red Crossbill © Brian Genge
Fort Collins - Greeley
Eastern Plains
With world-renowned sites like Pawnee National Grasslands, eastern Colorado is home to some of the only North American shortgrass prairie left on earth, embodying the Great Plains before human development and a unique ecosystem historically existing in a continuous band of the Great Plains from Colorado to Alberta. Today birders flock to eastern Colorado for its grouse leks in spring and specialized shortgrass prairie breeders in summer, while the central flyway brings intense landbird migration in spring and fall.
Highly sought-after specialties here include Mountain Plover, Thick-billed Longspur, Chestnut-collared Longspur, prairie-chickens, and Colorado’s state bird the Lark Bunting, while wider-ranging specialties include Long-billed Curlew, Prairie Falcon, Golden Eagle, Ferruginous Hawk, Horned Lark, Grasshopper Sparrow, Cassin’s Sparrow, and Dickcissel. Migration season in spring and fall brings incredible diversity to isolated woodlots that act as migrant traps for exhausted songbirds traversing the open landscape. In winter, Colorado’s plains are also a great place to look for Lapland Longspur, Rough-legged Hawk, and Northern Shrike.
Mountain Plover © Brian Genge, Thick-billed Longspur © Shailesh Pinto, Chestnut-collared Longspur © Brian Genge, Lesser Prairie-Chicken © Jack Parlapiano, Greater Prairie-Chicken © Dave Stejskal, Lark Bunting © David Tonnessen, Long-billed Curlew © Brian Genge, Prairie Falcon © Luke Pheneger, Ferruginous Hawk © David Tonnessen, Horned Lark © Brian Genge, Grasshopper Sparrow © Brian Genge, Cassin’s Sparrow © Brian Genge, Dickcissel © Shailesh Pinto, Lapland Longspur © Brian Genge
Pueblo - Lamar - La Junta
Southeastern Colorado
In southeastern Colorado, shortgrass prairie gives way to cholla grasslands and juniper canyonlands that host many resident bird species unique to the southwestern US as well as renowned migrant traps that draw in large numbers of migrating songbirds during spring and fall. This region offers a particular draw for in-state birders because of its unique terrain and associated birdlife compared to the rest of the state.
The only place in Colorado to see more southwestern species like Greater Roadrunner, Scaled Quail, Chihuahuan Raven, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Curve-billed Thrasher, Canyon Towhee, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and other very localized species in the state like Gray Vireo, Scott’s Oriole, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Also a great area to find Mountain Plover, Common Poorwill, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin’s Kingbird, Say’s Phoebe, Lazuli Bunting, Lark Bunting, Cassin’s Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, and many others. Occasionally parts of this region will see breeding Vermilion Flycatchers and Painted Bunting.
Greater Roadrunner © Liam Wolff, Scaled Quail © Jack Parlapiano, Chihuahuan Raven © Jodhan Fine, Ladder-backed Woodpecker © Jack Parlapiano, Curve-billed Thrasher © Brian Genge, Canyon Towhee © Jodhan Fine, Rufous-crowned Sparrow © Brian Genge, Gray Vireo © Jack Parlapiano, Scott’s Oriole © Jack Parlapiano, Mountain Plover © Brian Genge, Cassin’s Sparrow © Brian Genge, Black-throated Sparrow © Brian Genge
Grand Junction - Telluride - Durango
Western Slope
A world away from the front range, Colorado’s West Slope is where the Rockies melt into the lowland deserts of Utah. From the red rocks and rugged cliffs of Colorado National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park to the top of Grand Mesa and the San Juan Mountains, the West Slope has a rich history of ancient civilizations, dramatic open spaces and public lands, and rich birdlife to boot. It combines high mountain species of western North America with more southwestern desert specialties.
This is the only part of Colorado to find the spectacular Gambel’s Quail, Chukar, and Lucy’s Warbler. It also has some of the most accessible Black Swifts, Gray Vireo, Juniper Titmice, and Black-throated Gray Warblers in the state. Wider-ranging specialties include Barrow’s Goldeneye, Dusky Grouse, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, White-throated Swift, Clark’s Grebe, Western Grebe, Band-tailed Pigeon, Common Poorwill, Flammulated Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Western Screech-Owl, Burrowing Owl, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Plumbeous Vireo, Canada Jay, Steller’s Jay, Pinyon Jay, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Black-billed Magpie, Pygmy Nuthatch, Bushtit, Mountain Chickadee, Violet-Green Swallow, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Bewick’s Wren, American Dipper, Townsend’s Solitaire, Mountain Bluebird, Western Bluebird, Sage Thrasher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin’s Kingbird, Say’s Phoebe, Western Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Virginia’s Warbler, Cassin’s Finch, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Green-tailed Towhee, Sagebrush Sparrow, Black-throated Sparrow, Brewer’s Sparrow, Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, Scott’s Oriole, and Bullock’s Oriole.
Gambel’s Quail © Jodhan Fine, Chukar © Levi Plummer, Lucy’s Warbler © Jack Parlapiano, Black Swift © David Tonnessen, Gray Vireo © Jack Parlapiano, Juniper Titmouse © Jack Parlapiano, Black-throated Gray Warbler © Jack Parlapiano, Dusky Grouse © David Tonnessen, Mountain Bluebird © Brian Genge, Virginia’s Warbler © Brian Genge, Red Crossbill © Brian Genge, Black-throated Sparrow © Brian Genge, Western Tanager © Brian Genge, Black-headed Grosbeak © David Tonnessen, Scott’s Oriole © Jack Parlapiano