Get up early. Pull out the binoculars. Pick up a field guide. Right now is wings-down the prime time for birding in Colorado.
Birds are preening and singing, and pinching one another’s tail feathers in a dizzying display of airborne mating ritual. Some are building nests, and others are just touching down for a bit of R&R before they head farther north to their own mating grounds.
The official name for what’s going on is the spring migration, says John Koshak, Watchable Wildlife coordinator for the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s southeast region. It happens fast, with in the neighborhood of 460 species moving through the state or to summer nesting areas here at home by about June 1.
“This is the time that just about everything that comes through the state comes through,” he says. “Birds are looking for places to hang out, for any kind of water and any kind of trees or bushes that provide cover, shelter and food sources.”
This means riparian areas – the swaths of green that front ponds, streams, ditches, lakes and rivers – are especially active. And thanks to the big snows of winter, some of the big prairie reservoirs are full for the first time in a long time, meaning there’s plenty of traffic out there too.
You can look for birds in the obvious places, like your backyard or along urban waterways. Or take a road trip to places like the Chico Basin Ranch, east of Interstate 25 between Colorado Springs and Pueblo, where you might see lark buntings, scaled quail, sparrows, mountain plovers and burrowing owls.
Push farther southeast, to the Comanche National Grassland and deep into Picketwire Canyon, and you might see raptors, bobwhites and roadrunners. (Colorado Birding Trail will run a free birding field trip into the canyon May 19. Get the details at coloradobirdingtrail.com.)
At Bosque del Oso State Wildlife Area west of Trinidad, you might catch a glimpse of huge wild turkeys, along with tiny hummingbirds and brilliant cobalt mountain bluebirds.
To the north, the Pawnee National Grassland, starting at the Crow Valley Campground near Briggsdale, is a great place to spot larks and longspurs, burrowing owls and long- billed curlews.
On the Western Slope, keep your eyes open along the Colorado River, and plan to look a little closer in Colorado River State Park, especially the Island Acres section east of Fruita, where you may see golden and bald eagles, hawks, osprey and owls.
HOMETOWN HAVENS
You don’t have to travel far, or look hard, to get in on the spring show. Here are some showy, if common, birds you might see without searching too far:
1. American white pelican: Shaped just like the ones you see on beach-town postcards, our pelicans are white with fancy black trim on their wings. Look for them on ponds and lakes, especially reclaimed gravel ponds in Weld County south of Windsor.
2. Bald eagle: The national bird – you’ll know it for its size and its white head – eats small mammals and fish. Your best shot at seeing bald eagles is when they’re roosting in dead cottonwood trees along river drainages, and near ponds and prairie dog towns.
3. Red-tailed hawk: Smaller than the eagle, the hawk has a fan-shaped tail that is rusty-red-colored. This time of year, you might see hawks riding thermals high into the sky – they can soar as far as 2 miles without flapping their wings.
4. Steller’s jay: Bright blue, with a fancy black crest, this bold jay is common in the foothills and mountains. Keep a close watch: Jays will steal your picnic scraps.
5. American robin: Nicknamed “robin red breast” for its showy rust-colored front, this species of thrush is common in our parks and yards. Pairs typically raise two clutches of eggs a season, with the male looking after the first set of chicks while the female incubates the second.
6. Great blue heron: This tall, leggy bird is a steely blue color. You’ll see herons flying with legs extended, or wading in marshy areas in town and out in the country.
7. Northern flicker: This is a big bird that resembles some woodpeckers but prowls on the ground for insects instead of knocking on trees and posts for its prey. In the mountains and along the Front Range, flickers typically have a pinkish cast to their undersides. On the Eastern Plains, they have a yellowish cast. Males have a red “mustache.”
8. Western meadowlark: It’s about the size of a robin but with a yellow front and streaky gray-and-black back. You might hear meadowlarks before you see them perched on rural fence posts – they have an especially melodic call.
9. Red-headed woodpecker: You might hear this bird knocking on a telephone pole in your neighborhood, or see it in rural areas where there are trees. The males have bright red heads, white fronts and big white patches on their backs.
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WHAT TO USE
You don’t really need any special gear to become a backyard birder. Really, just two things:
BINOCULARS
Good-quality binoculars adequate for beginners start at about $20 for Bushnells, which magnify your subject by 12 times and are compact enough to fit in a jacket pocket. Feel free to drool over a whole host of equipment at bushnells.com.
A BIRD BOOK
Lone Pine Publishing just released “Compact Guide to Colorado Birds,” $13.95, by Michael Roedel, Krista Kagume and Gregory Kennedy. The guide is beautifully illustrated and includes pictures of eggs; where you might find the birds and and how to spot them; plus amusing “Did you know?” bits about each species. (Did you know turkey vultures vomit to ward off predators? Didn’t think so.)
The “Colorado Wildlife Viewing Guide,” $12.95, a joint publication of federal and state land and wildlife managers, gives you the details on 201 places to view birds, mammals and reptiles all over the state. There aren’t many illustrations, but each listing provides lots of details about what species you might see and when.
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Bird Watching
If you’re not confident about spotting our feathered friends on your own, here are a few chances to learn before you go looking:
SATURDAY AND APRIL 29 Mountain Plover Festival | This year the tiny community of Karval is trying its hand at eco-tourism, with a two-day meet that will get birders out into some prairie habitat and give them the chance to see burrowing owls and learn about the mountain plover, a little, but long-legged bird that nests in the area. $75 covers tours, meals and camping. Get the sign-up details at rmbo.org.
MAY 5 Riding the Range: It’s For The Birds | Chico Basin Ranch, southeast of Colorado Springs | Watch birds being banded at the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory’s Education and Bird Banding station, then ride all or part of a 23-mile loop around the ranch. Watch for wildflowers, views of Pikes Peak and potentially as many as 300 species of birds spotted at the 87,000-acre ranch. $35 per adult, $75 for families with children 12 and under, $20 for students 13 to 17. Details at chicobasinranch.com.
MAY 5 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Front Range Birding Co. Open House & Dove Race | 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Jefferson Village/Kohl’s Shopping Center, Littleton | Get there by 11 a.m. to see the raptor conservation group HawkQuest showing off a live birds and fly a Harris hawk at noon. Includes education booths, plus an arts and crafts fair. Details at 303-979-2473
AY 10-13 Ute Mountain- Mesa Verde Birding Festival | In and around Cortez | Four days of birding events for everyone from beginners to experts. In past years, as many as 100 birds have been spotted. $35 registration gets you into the basic events, including an art show and lectures. Side trips are extra. Details at utemountain mesaverdebirdingfestival.com.
MAY 12 Breakfast With the Birds | Environmental Learning Center North, Fort Collins | Get there by 8 a.m. for a morning session to learn about birds at the Education and Bird Banding Station. See songbirds up-close and learn about their amazing adaptations and behaviors. $5 per person and $15 per family includes breakfast and coffee. Details at 970-491-1661.
MAY 12 International Migratory Bird Day | Barr Lake State Park, Brighton | Join Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and visit Barr Lake State Park’s Wildlife Refuge to identify plants and animals, use binoculars and spotting scopes, observe and identify birds by sight, song and call, observe bird behaviors, sketch birds in their natural habitat and create your own life list of birds.
MAY 12 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Hummingbird Festival | 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Starsmore Discovery Center, Colorado Springs | Free family fun and learning in North Cheyenne Canyon. Park at Cheyenne Mountain High School and take the free shuttle to the festival.Details at 719-385-6086
MAY 19 “Breakfast With The Birds” | Lamar Community College Campus, Lamar | Show up at 8 a.m. to learn about birds at the Education and Bird Banding Station. See songbirds up-close and learn about their adaptations and behaviors. Includes a short trip to a nearby playa to learn about the importance of these areas to birds and wildlife. Details at rmbo.org.
