Birdwatching

[ Common Birds ]

Mesa Verde National Park is home to several distinct habitats. the types of species which you will encounter depends on the habitat present. If you are an avid birder, make sure to purchase a copy of the 25-cent brochure, "Checklist of the Birds". This will help you locate where the species are found in the park. The listing of birds in this page will get you started as a bird watcher in Mesa Verde.

Most trails within the park do not enter the deep canyons because federal law has closed the backcountry to protect the archaeological sites and natural resources. If you are visiting the park during late spring when migration and nesting are in progress, you can see many bird species at any point in the park.

Take the Petroglyph Point or Spruce Canyon Trail and look for warblers, flycatchers, woodpeckers, jays, hawks, chickadees, titmice, and other species. The Knife Edge Trail also has good birding. If you are lucky, you may see a peregrine falcon or a golden eagle soar from its nest out across the Montezuma Valley.

During the summer months, you can take any of the above-mentioned trails or walk the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail, near Balcony House, or the short trail to the Park Point lookout. The Park Point area is a good place to see hawks, towhees, grouse and eagles, in addition to the many species listed above.

In the fall, you may want to take the Knife Edge Trail early in the morning to catch migrating warblers and hummingbirds feeding on the Indian Paint Brush.

If you are one of the few winter visitors, most trails are closed. Be on the lookout for chickadees, nuthatches, an occasional brown creeper, canyon wrens, woodpeckers, flickers, and jays during your Spruce Tree House tour. The turkey vultures usually arrive in late March and leave in early October, so the large black birds you see will likely be common ravens or the vivid black-billed magpie.

The riparian area of Mesa Verde is largely inaccessible within the park. To access a similar habitat, take one of the county roads west of Mancos and follow the road along the Mancos River. You will see ducks, Canada geese, great blue herons, possibly an American dipper, flocks of western and mountain bluebirds, lots of red-winged and Brewer's blackbirds, and bald and golden eagles. Depending on the season, you may also spot migrating waxwings, goldfinches, evening grosbeaks, a variety of flycatchers, both ruby and golden-crowned kinglets, 4 or 5 varieties of swallows, and other species as well.

Bird watching in Mesa Verde is not as impressive as some specialized areas, but it is an exciting and worthwhile experience. Ask rangers at the Far View Visitor Center or Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum for special hints if you are on the lookout for that certain species you want to add to your life list. Fill out a wildlife sighting card if you see something rare or unusual. Such sightings are added to the park's resource management data file, providing a detailed permanent record that assists researchers.

Good luck and happy bird watching!

Common Birds

American Kestrel
American Robin
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Black-billed Magpie
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Black-headed Grosbeak
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Brewer's Blackbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Canyon Wren
Cassin's Finch
Chipping Sparrow
Common Bushtit
Common Poor Will
Common Raven
Golden Eagle
Gray-headed Junco
Great Horned Owl
Green-tailed Towhee
Hairy Woodpecker
House Finch
House Wren
Juniper Titmouse
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Chickadee
Mourning Dove
Northern Flicker
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Pine Siskin
Pinyon Jay
Red-tailed Hawk
Rosy Finch
Rufous-sided Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Scrub Jay
Sharp-skinned Hawk
Solitary Vireo
Steller's Jay
Townsend's Solitaire
Turkey Vulture
Violet-green Swallow
Virginia's Warbler
Western Tanager
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-throated Swift
Yellow-rumped Warbler