Bird Watching

A Vesper Sparrow, one of many sparrow species at Curecanti, perches on a wooden post.

NPS/D. Goodman

Curecanti offers a variety of habitats for bird watchers and enthusiasts to enjoy. Birders can marvel at the natural wonders around them -- from bald eagles on Blue Mesa to yellow warblers at Neversink, to the impressive dive of a hunting peregrine falcon in the upper Black Canyon.

The recreation area has several vegetation types that provide ideal habitat for birds, which can be classified as woodlands, water (riparian and reservoir), sagebrush scrub, and canyon.

 

Woodlands

The Neversink Trail is a popular birding spot for spotting woodland birds. Although only a mile in length, the trail takes you along side the Gunnison River under large cottonwood trees. Look and listen for robins, red-winged black birds and woodpeckers. Hummingbirds fill the air with their constant buzzing as they search for nectar. Inspect the trunks of the trees for creepers and nuthatches looking for insects or seeds.

 

Water

Blue Mesa is the largest body of water in Colorado and offers a multitude of habitats for bird life. From the riparian habitat of Cooper’s Ranch, to the mud flats of Iola, and the steep sided arms of West Elk and Lake Fork.

You may spot a heron spear fishing along the shore or western grebes and mergansers diving for food in the open waters of Blue Mesa. The shoreline offers opportunities to see various species of wading birds such as sandpipers, phalaropes and gulls. In the spring and early winter, look and listen for sandhill cranes migrating through.

 

Turkey vultures can be seen from Pioneer Point and other overlooks along CO Highway 92.

NPS Photo

Sagebrush Scrub

This habitat surrounds Blue Mesa Reservoir and is dominated by Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). It is home to the native and endangered Gunnison Sage-grouse (Centrocercus minimus), as well as sparrows, thrashers, and larks. Visitors can take a hike along Dillon Pinnacles Trail for opportunities to see these birds.

Canyon

From the various lookout points along CO Highway 92, visitors can glimpse into the upper Black Canyon and see birds from a higher viewpoint.

From Pioneer Point, one can see rapid, erractic flight patterns of swifts and swallows diving along the canyon wall. Turkey vultures that roost on the lower levels of the canyon ride thermals up to and above the canyon rim. Black-billed magpies, red-tailed hawks, western bluebirds, and peregrine falcons can also be spotted.

 

Species List

Interested in knowing all the bird species in the park? Use the species list below and filter by 'Birds' under Species Category.

 

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Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

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Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

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Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

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Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

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List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Curecanti National Recreation Area

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

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Species attribute definitions

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Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.