News from the Colorado Division of Wildlife
Contact Name: Joe Lewandowski, southwest region
Contact Phone: (970)375-6708
NEW COLORADO BIRDING TRAIL ROUTES NOW ON THE INTERNET
DURANGO, Colo. -- The Colorado Birding Trail has expanded to the west.
Colorado's southwestern region, which includes the San Luis Valley, has been
incorporated into the Colorado Birding Trail web site at
www.coloradobirdingtrail.com.
This trail features 13 new routes and more than 200 sites that provide wildlife
viewers and birders with outstanding opportunities to see unique species in
Colorado’s most spectacular environments. From shorebirds along the edges of
Fruitgrower’s Reservoir near Eckert to the sandhill cranes in the San Luis
Valley, these routes highlight some of the best places for bird watching and
wildlife viewing in Colorado.
The web site provides a variety of helpful information, including: species
you're likely to see, habitats you'll encounter, location maps, directions,
availability of public and private facilities, latitude/longitude coordinates
of sites and a general description of each site. The web site also explains
techniques and etiquette for watching birds, descriptions of other wildlife
you're likely to see, and resources for learning more about birds and the
environment of Colorado.
The Colorado Birding Trail was launched in 2007 by the Colorado Division of
Wildlife in partnership with Audubon Colorado, Colorado Field Ornithologists,
Colorado Scenic Byways, Great Outdoors Colorado, Playa Lakes Joint Venture,
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and several heritage tourism groups.
The first part of the Colorado Birding Trail, which includes 14 routes, was
established in southeastern Colorado. Those routes also are described on the
web site.
"The web site provides valuable information for novice and experienced birders
and wildlife watchers," said Jennifer Kleffner, watchable wildlife coordinator
for the DOW's southwest region. "Our goals for the Birding Trail are to lead
the public to locations where they can enjoy Colorado’s natural resources, to
economically link funds spent on wildlife watching to rural Colorado
communities, and to increase awareness for species and conservation efforts
with the general public and private landowners.”
Bird watching can contribute significantly to the economies of rural Colorado
communities. A formal economic study in 2008 found that birders who traveled
more than a mile from home to watch birds spent more than $700 million on their
pastime in Colorado, which supported almost 13,000 jobs in the state.
Southwest birding aficionados can learn about where to see birds in three
national parks, along county roads and scenic byways and on trails that lead
deep into the high country.
"Because the habitat is so diverse, from red rock canyons and windswept sage
flats to alpine tundra, there are a wide variety of birding opportunities,"
Kleffner said.
Some of the birds found primarily or only in the southwest region of Colorado
include: the Gunnison-Sage grouse, white-tailed ptarmigan, black swift, acorn
woodpeckers, Lucy's warbler, and boreal owls.
Free printed guides for southwest and southeast Colorado will be available in
July at DOW offices and all Colorado State Welcome Centers.
For the best places to see birds in Colorado, go to:
www.coloradobirdingtrailcom.
For more news about Division of Wildlife go to:
http://wildlife.state.co.us/news/index.asp?DivisionID=3
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to:
http://wildlife.state.co.us.
www.coloradobirdingtrail.com: Where to find the best places to bird in
Colorado!
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