•Some 8,000 feet above sea level, a Peregrine Falcon cruises from its perch atop Zion's high plateau. A flock of Band-tailed Pigeons note its approach and bolt on noisy wings into a stand of ponderosa pines. The falcon careens over the edge of its looming sandstone world and drops roughly 2,000 feet along a sheer rock wall; White-throated Swifts scatter to give it space. At the base of the cliffs the raptor's flight becomes more horizontal. From the pygmy forest of pinyon and juniper, thirty Pinyon Jays squawk their disapproval, and further down, along the Virgin River, a Black-headed Grosbeak eyes the Peregrine from the cover of a big cottonwood. Soon, the falcon's shadow is streaking across searing desert terrain, where a Roadrunner abandons its pursuit of lizards to avoid becoming prey itself.

•Amazingly, a Peregrine Falcon can be within a talon's grasp of each of Zion's major habitats during a flight lasting only a few minutes.

•In Zion National Park, a diversity of environments is compressed into a relatively small space. While the birdwatcher lacks the Peregrine Falcon's luxury of 100 m.p.h. plus flight, he or she can still visit Zion's different habitats within a day.

•Try to experience the varied landscapes of Zion. You will likely be impressed with their stunning beauty, and with the many bird species that occupy them.

Zion Bird List:
•This list contains 291 bird species.

Click here to view Zion Bird List