Birds in Colorado

Among the states with the most birds, Colorado has secured a spot among the top ten. A feat, considering Colorado doesn’t have a coastline. It’s the huge expanse of land and a varied habitat that allows for Colorado to bridge all gaps.

What Is The State Bird Of Colorado?

Colorado’s state bird was decided in 1931, settling on the Lark Bunting because of the melodic tune of the species and the enthusiastic courtship dance they engaged in that almost appeared as if the birds were performing acrobatics. Belonging to the sparrow family, Lark Buntings are about medium sized with a wingspan that went 11 inches at most and a body that was 7 inches. Lark Buntings come with a dark plumage, white colored bill and wings.

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What Are the Top Bird Watching Spots In Colorado?

Who hasn’t heard of Rocky Mountain National Park? It certainly has a reputation in America for its beauty. From marshes to pine woodlands and alpine tundra- there isn’t much when it comes to mountain habitat that Colorado doesn’t cover. Bird watchers love seeing the birds in the high elevation area, such as Clark’s Nutcracker, Cassin’s Finch, and Pine Grosbeak. The lower elevation has Wilson’s Warbler, American Dipper, and Pygmy Nuthatch.

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, an area in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, is famous for the flock of Sandhill Cranes that have it as a stop during the migration season. Even a festival is held in a close town where people do field trips to the refuge to see 20000 cranes in March. Nesting birds include Black-crowned Night-Heron, Wilson’s Phalarope and White-faced Ibis.

The 1900 acres Barr Lake State Park is another great birding spot in Colorado, with the options of seeing Blue Grosbeak and Lazuli Bunting.

How Many Birds Can You See in Colorado?

Birds in Colorado currently bank on 506 species count. Larimer has the highest percentage of them, with 424 different kinds of birds spotted there. Boulder and Pueblo share a count of 413. El Paso and Jefferson are the next logical choices for birdwatchers among the counties they want to scourge for birds, with the count being 408 and 401.

Barr Lake SP is certainly the undisputed hotspot of Colorado. At least 341 bird species have been spotted there. For enthusiastic birdwatchers, Pueblo Reservoir and Chatfield SP would be the next best destinations. The species count for the two places differs with 335 and 333.

Top Birds To See In Colorado

Red winged Blackbird is the kind of species that gives away its specialty by name alone. It’s a small black bird with red wings. The black shade of the bird is beautiful as is its contrast with red wings.

Sternidae is another rare bird of Colorado that bird watchers look forward to. It’s a small white bird with bent legs. They can be easily missed with how small they are so be sharp when looking for it.

Common Birds To See In Colorado

Denver can’t seem to get rid of House Finches, nor does it want to. It’s simply one of those birds that shows up in your backyard and is a part of the creatures that greets you in the morning.

Black capped Chickadee, Northern Flicker are also quite common all over the state, especially in cities such as Colorado Springs and Aurora.

Final Thoughts

Most people would link Colorado to the mountains and for good reasons. You simply can’t visit Colorado and ignore Rocky Mountain National Park, a place where birds in Colorado collaborate with a scenic, chill ambiance.