When visiting Colorado National Monument, take the opportunity to enjoy the abundant bird life that surrounds you. Listen, you might hear the laughing call of a raven or the mellow whistle of a Say's phoebe. You might see a Gambel's quail scurry across a trail or witness a turkey vulture wobble on an air current high above. View an interactive bird checklist of Colorado National Monument with links to species profiles.
The pinyon-juniper woodland that dominates most of this area provides an essential habitat for a wide diversity of birds. At least 54 breeding songbird species and nine breeding species of raptors have been identified in the monument. Several other species are known to pass through during migration and winter months. Recognizing the significance of this area, Colorado National Monument was designated as an important bird area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy on May 10, 2000.
Birds can be challenging to identify and generate much curiosity. To aid the beginning birdwatcher, the Colorado National Monument Association bookstore offers a broad selection of books and a checklist of common park birds.
Sites:Inventory and Monitoring Division, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network, Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Because birds can be sensitive to habitat change, they are good indicators of ecosystem integrity. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network partners with the University of Delaware to assess breeding-bird species trends in three different habitats: low-elevation riparian, pinyon-juniper, and sage shrubland. Find out which species were increasing and declining at network parks as of 2021.
Sites:Inventory and Monitoring Division, Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network, Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Birds of the desert southwest, a climate-change hotspot, are among the most vulnerable groups in the US. To help park managers plan for those changes, scientists evaluated the influence of water deficit on landbird communities at 11 national parks in Utah and Colorado. The results will help land managers to focus conservation efforts on places where certain species are most vulnerable to projected climate changes.
Sites:Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory & Monitoring Network, Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Because birds can be sensitive to habitat change, they are good indicators of ecosystem integrity. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network partners with the University of Delaware to assess breeding-bird species trends in three different habitats: low-elevation riparian, pinyon-juniper, and sage shrubland. Find out which species were increasing and declining at network parks as of 2020.
