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Wildlife of Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Golden Gate Canyon State Park lies approximately 25 miles west of downtown Denver in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The park consists of 11,700 acres that lies across the boundary between the western edge of Jefferson County and the eastern edge of Gilpin County. Elevations range between ...more ↓

Boreal Chorus Frog ¹
Pseudacris maculata

Northern Leopard Frog ²
Lithobates pipiens

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake ¹
Thamnophis elegans

Northern Flicker ³
Colaptes auratus

Red-naped Sapsucker ⁴
Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Williamson's Sapsucker ⁵
Sphyrapicus thyroideus

Downy Woodpecker ⁶
Dryobates pubescens

Hairy Woodpecker ⁷
Dryobates villosus

Eastern Screech-Owl ⁸
Megascops asio

Northern Pygmy-Owl ⁹
Glaucidium gnoma

Great Horned Owl ¹⁰
Bubo virginianus

Northern Saw-whet Owl ¹¹
Aegolius acadicus

Flammulated Owl ¹²
Psiloscops flammeolus

Belted Kingfisher ¹³
Megaceryle alcyon

Rock Pigeon ¹⁴
Columba livia

Band-tailed Pigeon ¹⁵
Patagioenas fasciata

Mourning Dove ¹⁶
Zenaida macroura

American Coot ¹⁷
Fulica americana

Turkey Vulture ¹⁸
Cathartes aura

Dusky Grouse ¹²
Dendragapus obscurus

Wild Turkey ¹⁹
Meleagris gallopavo

Spotted Sandpiper ²⁰
Actitis macularius

Killdeer ²¹
Charadrius vociferus

Great Blue Heron ²²
Ardea herodias

Peregrine Falcon ²³
Falco peregrinus

American Kestrel ²⁴
Falco sparverius

Common Nighthawk ¹²
Chordeiles minor

Broad-tailed Hummingbird ²⁵
Selasphorus platycercus

Rufous Hummingbird ²⁶
Selasphorus rufus

Blue-winged Teal ¹¹
Spatula discors

Mallard ²⁷
Anas platyrhynchos

Bufflehead ¹¹
Bucephala albeola

Common Merganser ²⁸
Mergus merganser

Canada Goose ²⁹
Branta canadensis

Osprey ²²
Pandion haliaetus

Golden Eagle ¹²
Aquila chrysaetos

Cooper's Hawk ³⁰
Accipiter cooperii

Northern Goshawk ³¹
Accipiter gentilis

Sharp-shinned Hawk ³²
Accipiter striatus

Northern Harrier ³³
Circus cyaneus

Red-tailed Hawk ³⁴
Buteo jamaicensis

Double-crested Cormorant ³⁵
Phalacrocorax auritus

Barn Swallow ³⁶
Hirundo rustica

Tree Swallow ¹¹
Tachycineta bicolor

Violet-green Swallow ³⁷
Tachycineta thalassina

Cliff Swallow ³⁸
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Brewer's Blackbird ³⁹
Euphagus cyanocephalus

Brown-headed Cowbird ¹²
Molothrus ater

Baltimore Oriole ⁴⁰
Icterus galbula

Western Meadowlark ⁴¹
Sturnella neglecta

Red-winged Blackbird ⁴²
Agelaius phoeniceus

Northern Shrike ⁴³
Lanius borealis

Loggerhead Shrike ⁴¹
Lanius ludovicianus

Black-capped Chickadee ⁴⁴
Poecile atricapillus

Mountain Chickadee ¹²
Poecile gambeli

House Sparrow ⁴⁵
Passer domesticus

Red-breasted Nuthatch ⁴⁶
Sitta canadensis

White-breasted Nuthatch ⁶
Sitta carolinensis

Pygmy Nuthatch ⁴⁷
Sitta pygmaea

European Starling ⁴⁸
Sturnus vulgaris

Canyon Wren ⁴⁹
Catherpes mexicanus

Rock Wren ¹²
Salpinctes obsoletus

House Wren ¹²
Troglodytes aedon

Bewick's Wren ⁴¹
Thryomanes bewickii

American Robin ⁵⁰
Turdus migratorius

Hermit Thrush ³⁹
Catharus guttatus

Swainson's Thrush ⁵¹
Catharus ustulatus

Mountain Bluebird ²⁴
Sialia currucoides

Western Bluebird ³⁹
Sialia mexicana

Townsend's Solitaire ⁴³
Myadestes townsendi

Warbling Vireo ⁵
Vireo gilvus

Plumbeous Vireo ¹²
Vireo plumbeus

Ruby-crowned Kinglet ⁵²
Regulus calendula

Golden-crowned Kinglet ⁵³
Regulus satrapa

Dark-eyed Junco ⁵⁴
Junco hyemalis

Lark Sparrow ²⁴
Chondestes grammacus

American Tree Sparrow ⁵⁵
Spizelloides arborea

Cassin's Sparrow ⁴¹
Peucaea cassinii

Lincoln's Sparrow ⁵⁶
Melospiza lincolnii

Song Sparrow ⁵⁴
Melospiza melodia

Chipping Sparrow ⁵⁷
Spizella passerina

Fox Sparrow ¹³
Passerella iliaca

White-crowned Sparrow ⁵⁸
Zonotrichia leucophrys

Green-tailed Towhee ¹²
Pipilo chlorurus

Savannah Sparrow ²²
Passerculus sandwichensis

Lazuli Bunting ⁵⁹
Passerina amoena

Black-headed Grosbeak ⁴¹
Pheucticus melanocephalus

Western Tanager ¹²
Piranga ludoviciana

Wilson's Warbler ⁶⁰
Cardellina pusilla

Yellow-rumped Warbler ⁶¹
Setophaga coronata

Black-throated Green Warbler ⁴¹
Setophaga nigrescens

Yellow Warbler ⁵⁶
Setophaga petechia

American Redstart ⁶²
Setophaga ruticilla

Virginia's Warbler ¹²
Oreothlypis virginiae

MacGillivray's Warbler ⁶³
Geothlypis tolmiei

Cedar Waxwing ⁶⁴
Bombycilla cedrorum

Bohemian Waxwing ¹¹
Bombycilla garrulus

Brown Creeper ⁶⁵
Certhia americana

American Dipper ⁴¹
Cinclus mexicanus

American Crow ⁶⁶
Corvus brachyrhynchos

Edited by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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Wildlife of Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Boreal Chorus Frog 1 Pseudacris maculata

Northern Leopard Frog 2 Lithobates pipiens

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake 1 Thamnophis elegans

Northern Flicker 3 Colaptes auratus

Red-naped Sapsucker 4 Sphyrapicus nuchalis

Williamson's Sapsucker 5 Sphyrapicus thyroideus

Downy Woodpecker 6 Dryobates pubescens

Hairy Woodpecker 7 Dryobates villosus

Eastern Screech-Owl 8 Megascops asio

Northern Pygmy-Owl 9 Glaucidium gnoma

Great Horned Owl 10 Bubo virginianus

Northern Saw-whet Owl 11 Aegolius acadicus

Flammulated Owl 12 Psiloscops flammeolus

Belted Kingfisher 13 Megaceryle alcyon

Rock Pigeon 14 Columba livia

Band-tailed Pigeon 15 Patagioenas fasciata

Mourning Dove 16 Zenaida macroura

American Coot 17 Fulica americana

Turkey Vulture 18 Cathartes aura

Dusky Grouse 12 Dendragapus obscurus

Wild Turkey 19 Meleagris gallopavo

Spotted Sandpiper 20 Actitis macularius

Killdeer 21 Charadrius vociferus

Great Blue Heron 22 Ardea herodias

Peregrine Falcon 23 Falco peregrinus

American Kestrel 24 Falco sparverius

Common Nighthawk 12 Chordeiles minor

Broad-tailed Hummingbird 25 Selasphorus platycercus

Rufous Hummingbird 26 Selasphorus rufus

Blue-winged Teal 11 Spatula discors

Mallard 27 Anas platyrhynchos

Bufflehead 11 Bucephala albeola

Common Merganser 28 Mergus merganser

Canada Goose 29 Branta canadensis

Osprey 22 Pandion haliaetus

Golden Eagle 12 Aquila chrysaetos

Cooper's Hawk 30 Accipiter cooperii

Northern Goshawk 31 Accipiter gentilis

Sharp-shinned Hawk 32 Accipiter striatus

Northern Harrier 33 Circus cyaneus

Red-tailed Hawk 34 Buteo jamaicensis

Double-crested Cormorant 35 Phalacrocorax auritus

Barn Swallow 36 Hirundo rustica

Tree Swallow 11 Tachycineta bicolor

Violet-green Swallow 37 Tachycineta thalassina

Cliff Swallow 38 Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Brewer's Blackbird 39 Euphagus cyanocephalus

Brown-headed Cowbird 12 Molothrus ater

Baltimore Oriole 40 Icterus galbula

Western Meadowlark 41 Sturnella neglecta

Red-winged Blackbird 42 Agelaius phoeniceus

Northern Shrike 43 Lanius borealis

Loggerhead Shrike 41 Lanius ludovicianus

Black-capped Chickadee 44 Poecile atricapillus

Mountain Chickadee 12 Poecile gambeli

House Sparrow 45 Passer domesticus

Red-breasted Nuthatch 46 Sitta canadensis

White-breasted Nuthatch 6 Sitta carolinensis

Pygmy Nuthatch 47 Sitta pygmaea

European Starling 48 Sturnus vulgaris

Canyon Wren 49 Catherpes mexicanus

Rock Wren 12 Salpinctes obsoletus

House Wren 12 Troglodytes aedon

Bewick's Wren 41 Thryomanes bewickii

American Robin 50 Turdus migratorius

Hermit Thrush 39 Catharus guttatus

Swainson's Thrush 51 Catharus ustulatus

Mountain Bluebird 24 Sialia currucoides

Western Bluebird 39 Sialia mexicana

Townsend's Solitaire 43 Myadestes townsendi

Warbling Vireo 5 Vireo gilvus

Plumbeous Vireo 12 Vireo plumbeus

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 52 Regulus calendula

Golden-crowned Kinglet 53 Regulus satrapa

Dark-eyed Junco 54 Junco hyemalis

Lark Sparrow 24 Chondestes grammacus

American Tree Sparrow 55 Spizelloides arborea

Cassin's Sparrow 41 Peucaea cassinii

Lincoln's Sparrow 56 Melospiza lincolnii