Colorado is a spectacular birding state, where the Great Plains rise into the high Rocky Mountains to create an extraordinary range of habitats. On the eastern grasslands, Western Meadowlarks sing their flute-like songs from fence posts; in the mountain forests, bright Western Scrub-Jays and tiny chickadees flit through the pines; and in gardens across the Front Range, Black-chinned Hummingbirds hover at flowers and Lesser Goldfinches flash gold. For families, Colorado offers everything from prairie songbirds to high-alpine specialties against some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.
This guide maps the best spots to find birds in Colorado with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Birds of Colorado Activity Book to track every bird your family discovers.
Best Spots for Birding in Colorado
We mapped the best birding locations in Colorado so you can plan your adventure before you go.
- Rocky Mountain National Park — A high-alpine wonderland where families can find mountain birds from jays and woodpeckers to white-tailed ptarmigan above the treeline, plus broad-tailed hummingbirds in summer.
- Colorado National Monument — A dramatic canyon-and-mesa landscape near Grand Junction, home to canyon wrens, white-throated swifts, and soaring raptors.
- Barr Lake State Park — A premier birding lake near Denver with a banding station, home to nesting bald eagles, pelicans, herons, and abundant waterfowl.
- Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge — Famous for its spring gathering of thousands of sandhill cranes in the San Luis Valley — one of Colorado's great wildlife spectacles.
- Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge — A San Luis Valley wetland along the Rio Grande, rich in waterfowl, raptors, and shorebirds.
- Cherry Creek State Park, Denver — A large park with a reservoir, wetlands, and grasslands close to the city, excellent for waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds.
- Chico Basin Ranch, near Colorado Springs — A working ranch famous as a migration oasis on the plains, where songbirds concentrate in spring and fall.
- Crow Valley Recreation Area — A green oasis on the northeastern plains that's a magnet for migrating songbirds and a famous birding hotspot.
- Fountain Creek Regional Park — A wetland and woodland park near Colorado Springs with herons, woodpeckers, and migrating songbirds.
- John Martin Reservoir State Park — A large reservoir on the southeastern plains drawing gulls, terns, waterfowl, and rare visitors.
|
Make the Adventure Real The Birds of Colorado Activity Book turns your trip into a hands-on mission for ages 7–12 — with a species tracker, fun facts, drawing pages, games, and puzzles. Shop the Book Get the Full CO Set |
Family Tips for Birding in Colorado
- See the sandhill cranes at Monte Vista in spring. Each March, thousands of cranes gather in the San Luis Valley — a breathtaking, kid-friendly wildlife spectacle.
- Bird the mountains and the plains. Colorado's variety is its magic: drive from grassland meadowlarks up to alpine ptarmigan in a single day.
- Hang a hummingbird feeder in summer. Broad-tailed and black-chinned hummingbirds are common across the Front Range and mountains, thrilling for kids to watch up close.
- Bring binoculars and the Merlin Bird ID app. Binoculars bring distant mountain and prairie birds into focus, and the free Merlin app names birds from photos and songs in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions: Birds of Colorado with Kids
What is the state bird of Colorado?
The Lark Bunting is Colorado's state bird — a striking sparrow of the eastern plains. In summer the male is jet black with bold white wing patches, but in winter he molts to brown to blend in with the grasslands. Lark buntings are known for their beautiful flight song, sung as the male flutters into the air.
Where is the best place for birding in Colorado with kids?
Rocky Mountain National Park is wonderful for mountain birds and stunning scenery. For an easy outing near Denver, Barr Lake and Cherry Creek State Parks offer eagles, pelicans, and waterfowl. For a spectacle, the spring sandhill crane gathering at Monte Vista is unforgettable.
When is the best time for birding in Colorado?
Spring brings the famous sandhill crane migration and returning songbirds, and summer fills the mountains with hummingbirds and nesting birds. Fall migration is excellent on the plains, and winter brings eagles, rosy-finches, and waterfowl. Early morning is best year-round.
Can you see birds above the treeline in Colorado?
Yes — high in the mountains, above where trees can grow, lives the white-tailed ptarmigan, a grouse that turns snow-white in winter to hide in the snow and mottled brown in summer to match the rocks. Rocky Mountain National Park's Trail Ridge Road is one of the best places to look for alpine birds.
What makes Colorado birding special?
Colorado's dramatic range of elevation — from eastern plains near 3,500 feet to peaks over 14,000 feet — means families can see grassland, foothill, mountain, and alpine birds within one state. That variety, plus spectacles like the sandhill crane migration, makes for an unforgettable birding adventure.
Turn Your Colorado Adventure Into a Real Bird Watching Experience
Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Birds of Colorado Activity Book is a nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a bird tracker, fun facts about each species, bird category guides, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.
Or get all four Colorado nature books together — the Colorado Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of Colorado activity books.
Also exploring Colorado's nature? Read our family guides to Butterflies of Colorado with Kids, Wildflowers of Colorado with Kids, and Leaves of Colorado with Kids.
0 comments