Bird Checklists of the United States
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Florissant, Colorado
- Map of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
- Flowers of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
- Mammals of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
This bird list compiled from Monument observation records and the Colorado Bird Atlas. Abundance records are subjective and influenced by factors such as the relative abundance of the species, season, habitat, and species behavior. For instance while Golden Eagles are common at the Monument they will be seen less frequently than the numerous and bold Steller's Jays. If you see any birds not on this list please notify a Monument staff member.
HERONS (Ardeidae)
Wading birds; characterized by long legs, neck, and bill for stalking food in shallow waters.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Great Blue Heron Breeding Uncommon Wetlands
GEESE, DUCKS (Anatidae)
Aquatic, web-footed, gregarious birds.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Canada Goose Migrant Uncommon Wetlands
___ Green-winged Teal Breeding Common Wetlands
___ Mallard Resident Common Wetlands
___ Blue-winged Teal Migrant Uncommon Wetlands
___ Cinnamon Teal Migrant Uncommon Wetlands
___ Gadwall Resident Uncommon Wetlands
___ American Widgeon Migrant Uncommon Wetlands
___ Bufflehead Migrant Rare Wetlands
___ Common Merganser Winter Uncommon Wetlands
VULTURES (Cathartidae)
Scavengers characterized by small unfeathered head.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Turkey Vulture Migrant Common Varied
EAGLES, HAWKS (Accipitridae)
Diurnal birds of prey equipped with hooked bills and talons.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Northern Harrier Migrant Uncommon Wetlands
___ Sharp-shinned Hawk Resident Uncommon Varied
___ Cooper's Hawk Resident Uncommon Varied
___ Swainson's Hawk Migrant Rare Meadows
___ Red-tailed Hawk Resident Common Varied
___ Ferruginous Hawk Resident Rare Meadows
___ Rough-legged Hawk Winter Uncommon Varied
___ Golden Eagle Resident Common Varied
FALCONS (Falconidae)
Powerful, fast flying, birds of prey.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ American Kestrel Breeding Common Meadows
___ Prairie Falcon Resident Uncommon Meadows
GROUSE, QUAIL (Phasianidae)
Ground-dwellers, with short strong bills and short rounded wings.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Wild Turkey Winter Rare Forests
PLOVERS (Charadriidae)
Small, compact, short-billed shorebirds.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Killdeer Breeding Common Wetlands
SANDPIPERS (Scolopacidae)
Shorebirds characterized by long bill and neck.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Spotted Sandpiper Migrant Rare Wetlands
___ Common Snipe Resident Uncommon Wetlands
GULLS (Laridae)
Long-winged swimming birds with strong flight.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Ring-billed Gull Summer Uncommon Wetlands
___ California Gull Summer Uncommon Wetlands
PIGEONS, DOVES (Columbidae)
Strong fliers with plump bodies and a small bobbing head.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Mourning Dove Resident Uncommon Forests
OWLS (Strigidae)
Nocturnal birds of prey characterized by strong, silent flight and short necks.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Great-horned Owl Resident Uncommon Forests
GOATSUCKERS (Caprimulgidae)
Small nocturnal birds characterized by wide mouths for snaring insects.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Common Nighthawk Breeding Common Varied
HUMMINGBIRDS (Trochilidae)
Very small, colorful birds that hover at flowers sipping nectar with long slender bills.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Broad-tailed Hummingbird Breeding Common Varied
___ Rufous Hummingbird Migrant Rare Meadows
KINGFISHERS (Alcedinidae)
Stocky birds characterized by their large head and bill.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Belted Kingfisher Resident Uncommon Wetlands
WOODPECKERS (Picidae)
Strong claws and a sharp bill enable these birds to climb tree trunks and chisel
out insect food and nest holes.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Williamson's Sapsucker Breeding Common Forests
___ Downy Woodpecker Resident Uncommon Forests
___ Hairy Woodpecker Resident Uncommon Forests
___ Northern Flicker Resident Common Varied
FLYCATCHERS (Tyrannidae)
Small perching birds that dart about eating insects.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Olive-sided Flycatcher Breeding Common Forests
___ Least Flycatcher Breeding Uncommon Forests
___ Hammond's Flycatcher Breeding Uncommon Forests
___ Cordilleran Flycatcher Breeding Common Forests
___ Western Wood Peewee Breeding Common Varied
___ Say's Phoebe Breeding Uncommon Meadows
___ Western Kingbird Breeding Uncommon Varied
SWALLOWS (Hirundinidae)
Small insect eating birds characterized by slender bodies and long pointed wings.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Tree Swallow Breeding Common Varied
___ Violet-green Swallow Breeding Common Varied
___ Cliff Swallow Breeding Rare Cliffs
___ Barn Swallow Migrant Uncommon Structures
JAYS, CROWS, MAGPIES (Corvidae)
Large, aggressive birds with thick bills for a varied diet.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Gray Jay Resident Common Forests
___ Steller's Jay Resident Common Forests
___ Blue Jay Resident Rare Varied
___ Clark's Nutcracker Migrant Uncommon Forests
___ Black-billed Magpie Resident Common Meadows
___ American Crow Migrant Common Varied
___ Common Raven Resident Common Varied
CHICKADEES (Paridae)
Small birds with short wings, short bill and drab plumage.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Mountain Chickadee Resident Common Forests
NUTHATCHES (Sittidae)
Short-tailed tree-climbers that forage for insects in tree bark.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Red-breasted Nuthatch Resident Uncommon Forests
___ White-breasted Nuthatch Resident Common Forests
___ Pygmy Resident Common Forests
CREEPERS (Certhiidae)
Small tree-climbing birds with curved bills for extracting insects from bark.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Brown Creeper Resident Common Forests
WRENS (Troglodytidae)
Small chunky birds with slender bills and up-tilted tails.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Rock Wren Breeding Rare Rocks
___ Bewick's Wren Breeding Uncommon Rocks
___ House Wren Breeding Common Forests
KINGLETS (Sylviidae)
Small, drab birds with thin bills for eating insects.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Ruby-crowned Kinglet Breeding Uncommon Forests
THRUSHES (Muscicapidae)
Eloquent songbirds of open marshes and woodlands.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Western Bluebird Breeding Common Varied
___ Mountain Bluebird Breeding Common Varied
___ Townsend's Solitaire Breeding Uncommon Forests
___ Veery Breeding Rare Wetlands
___ Swainson's Thrush Breeding Uncommon Varied
___ Hermit Thrush Breeding Common Forests
___ American Robin Breeding Common Varied
MOCKINGBIRDS (Mimidae)
Songbirds characterized by short wings and long tails.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Northern Mockingbird Migrant Rare Forests
SHRIKES (Lanniidae)
Heavy hooked beaks and black masks characterize these opportunistic hunters.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Loggerhead Shrike Breeding Uncommon Meadows
___ Northern Shrike Winter Rare Meadows
STARLINGS (Sturnidae)
Bold birds with glossy plumage; introduced species from Europe.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ European Starling Resident Common Varied
LARKS (Alaudidae)
Ground dwellers of open fields, slender bills for eating seeds and insects.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Horned Lark Resident Rare Meadows
VIREOS (Vireonidae)
Small perching songbirds characterized by eye markings (eye rings, "eyebrows", and lores).
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Solitary Vireo Breeding Rare Forests
___ Warbling Vireo Breeding Uncommon Forests
WARBLERS (Parulidae)
Family of small, brightly colored, songbirds.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Yellow Warbler Breeding Uncommon Wetlands
___ Yellow-rumped Warbler Breeding Common Forests
___ Wilson's Warbler Migrant Rare Varied
TANAGERS (Thraupidae)
Brilliant thrush like birds of the forest.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Western Tanager Breeding Common Forests
TOWHEES, SPARROWS (Fringillidae)
Family of small birds characterized by small stout bills used for cracking seeds.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Green-tailed Towhee Breeding Uncommon Varied
___ Rufous-sided Towhee Resident Uncommon Varied
___ Canyon Towhee Migrant Rare Forests
___ American Tree Sparrow Winter Uncommon Varied
___ Chipping Sparrow Breeding Common Varied
___ Brewer's Sparrow Breeding Uncommon Meadows
___ Vesper Sparrow Breeding Uncommon Meadows
___ Lark Sparrow Breeding Uncommon Meadows
___ Savannah Sparrow Breeding Common Meadows
___ Fox Sparrow Winter Rare Wetlands
___ Song Sparrow Breeding Common Wetlands
___ Lincoln's Sparrow Resident Uncommon Varied
___ White-crowned Sparrow Migrant Rare Meadows
___ Dark-eyed Junco Resident Common Varied
BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES (Icteridae)
Medium to large heavy-billed birds.
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Red-winged Blackbird Breeding Common Wetlands
___ Western Meadowlark Breeding Common Meadows
___ Yellow-headed Blackbird Breeding Rare Wetlands
___ Brewer's Blackbird Breeding Common Wetlands
___ Common Grackle Breeding Uncommon Varied
___ Brown-headed Cowbird Breeding Uncommon Varied
___ Northern Oriole Breeding Rare Wetlands
FINCHES, GROSBEAKS (Fringillidae)
STATUS ABUNDANCE HABITAT
___ Pine Siskin Resident Common Varied
___ American Goldfinch Resident Rare Varied
___ Red Crossbill Resident Rare Forest
___ Common Redpoll Winter Rare Meadows
___ Rosy Finch Winter Uncommon Meadows
___ Cassin's Finch Breeding Uncommon Forests
___ Evening Grosbeak Breeding Common Forests
Produced by Norris Muth and Laine Weber.
For additional information contact:
Florissant Fossil Beds NM
P.O. Box 185
Florissant, CO 80816
Tel.# (719) 748-3253
This resource is based on the following source:
Monument observation records and the Colorado Bird Atlas. No date. Florissant
Fossil Beds, Bird List. Norris Muth and Laine Weber. Unpaginated.
This resource should be cited as:
Monument observation records and the Colorado Bird Atlas. No date. Florissant
Fossil Beds, Bird List. Norris Muth and Laine Weber. Unpaginated.
Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.govfloriss.htm
(Version 30DEC2002).
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