Birding

The Chico Basin Ranch lies on a major migratory route for birds traveling between nesting areas to the north and wintering grounds in the tropics and southern parts of North America. The ranch is an oasis of lakes, ponds, wetlands, and short-lived watering holes known as playas. This oasis attracts a wide diversity of birds, including many songbirds, eagles, many species of hawks, shore birds, burrowing owls, and threatened species like the mountain plover.

The ranch and our partner the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory began an inventory of the ranch's birds with the Christmas Bird Count in 1999. Since then, over 200 species have been added to our bird check list. Let us know if you would like a copy of our bird list or if you would like to arrange a birding tour with our naturalist.