Places to Go Birding
These two webpages have maps pinpointing good locations for birding, and they’re very good:
Bird Checklists
We maintain a checklist of birds that can be found within the Bear Creek Watershed during all seasons of the year. The Watershed extends from Mount Blue Sky to the confluence of Bear Creek and the South Platte River – a gradient of >8,900 ft over a distance of 34.5 miles.
Data for this checklist are derived from Evergreen Audubon monitoring projects, the annual Evergreen-Idaho Springs Christmas Bird Count, group bird walks, and individual birders’ observations, including those in eBird.org. It is organized by families and reflects the taxonomic sequence of the Checklist of North American Birds, 7th edition, American Ornithological Society (1998) updated through the 63rd Supplement (2022).
2024 Bear Creek Watershed Bird Checklist (updated Dec, 2024) (PDF)
Map of the Bear Creek Watershed (PDF)
Evergreen Lake Checklist (PDF)
Other regional checklists created by the Colorado Field Ornithologists
Jefferson County Bird Checklist (PDF)
Clear County Bird Checklist (PDF)
Gilpin County Bird Checklist (PDF)
Park County Bird Checklist (PDF)
Colorado State Bird Checklist (PDF)
Additional Resources
- Colorado Birding Trail
- eBird Hotspots, Cool Spots, and Notspots
- All About Bird Anatomy – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- The Feather Atlas – Feather ID and Scans – U.S.Fish & Wildlife
- Audubon Bird Guide App
Local Sightings
Get local updates sent directly to you by subscribing to the EvergreenBirders Email Group. Contact Lisa Wald to subscribe.
Also check Sightings on CO Bird for a Colorado-wide list.
Where to Find Birds in Evergreen
If you’re new to the area, this helpful guide on the Audubon Rockies website will direct you to the best places to start looking for birds: Where to Find Birds in Evergreen – Places to go bird watching recommended by Evergreen Audubon.
Local Bird Videos
- Evening Grosbeaks (27 mins)
Local Birding Guides
If you are visiting the Evergreen area and would like to have a birding guide, we have a group of birders any of whom would be happy to take you out to some of the best sites. Please contact communications@evergreenaudubon.org, giving what day or days you would like a guide and you will be connected with one of our local birders.
Annual Birding Challenge
In 2016, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act between the United States and Canada, Evergreen Audubon initiated its Annual Birding Challenge, hoping that through goal setting and competition, more folks would be inclined to work on their bird identification skills and come to know our birds more intimately. Successful completion of the Challenge makes you a Challenge Club member and earns you an exclusive Challenge Club cap. The goal of the Challenge is to identify by sight or sound the following number of species (one-third of the known number) in at least one of six geographic regions:
- Bear Creek Watershed: 112 species
- Jefferson County: 130 species
- Clear Creek County: 75 species
- Gilpin County: 64 species
- Park County: 102 species
- The State of Colorado: 171
- PDF checklists for each area are above
Please note that these lists are not mutually exclusive. For example, if you see a Dipper in the Bear Creek Watershed, you can also count it for the appropriate county and for the State of Colorado. And, of course, you are welcome to keep as many lists as you would like. The Challenge runs through the calendar year, from January 1 to December 31. So, grab your binoculars, head outside and get started! As of 2023 we have 19 Evergreen Audubon members who have successfully met the Birding Challenge.
Want to do citizen science and bird monitoring in your backyard? Check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology FeederWatch!