Wildlife of Boulder County

Boulder County is comprised of 740 square miles of land nestled along the front range of Colorado just 30 miles northwest of Denver. Its proximity to the mountains, diverse landscapes, and various designated open spaces make the county ideal for observing local and even migrating wildlife. ...more ↓

Sora ¹
Porzana carolina

Virginia Rail ²
Rallus limicola

American Coot ³
Fulica americana

Wild Turkey ⁴
Meleagris gallopavo

White-tailed Ptarmigan ⁵
Lagopus leucura

Ring-necked Pheasant ⁶
Phasianus colchicus

Greater Prairie-Chicken ⁷
Tympanuchus cupido

Dusky Grouse ⁸
Dendragapus obscurus

Greater Sage-Grouse ⁹
Centrocercus urophasianus

Belted Kingfisher ¹⁰
Megaceryle alcyon

Eurasian Collared Dove ¹¹
Streptopelia decaocto

Rock Dove ¹²
Columba livia

Band-tailed Pigeon ¹³
Patagioenas fasciata

Mourning Dove ¹⁴
Zenaida macroura

White-winged Dove ¹⁵
Zenaida asiatica

White-faced Ibis ¹⁶
Plegadis chihi

Baird's Sandpiper ¹⁷
Calidris bairdii

Semipalmated Sandpiper ¹⁸
Calidris pusilla

Least Sandpiper ¹⁹
Calidris minutilla

Long-billed Dowitcher ²⁰
Limnodromus scolopaceus

Solitary Sandpiper ²¹
Tringa solitaria

Greater Yellowlegs ²¹
Tringa melanoleuca

Lesser Yellowlegs ²²
Tringa flavipes

Common Snipe ²³
Gallinago gallinago

Upland Sandpiper ⁸
Bartramia longicauda

Eared Grebe ²⁴
Podiceps nigricollis

Red-necked Grebe ²⁵
Podiceps grisegena

Clark's Grebe ²¹
Aechmophorus clarkii

Western Grebe ¹
Aechmophorus occidentalis

Pied-billed Grebe ²⁶
Podilymbus podiceps

Double-crested Cormorant ²⁷
Phalacrocorax auritus

Neotropic Cormorant ²⁸
Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Brown Pelican ²⁹
Pelecanus occidentalis

American White Pelican ³⁰
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Ring-billed Gull ³¹
Larus delawarensis

Herring Gull ³²
Larus argentatus

California Gull ³³
Larus californicus

Forster's Tern ³⁴
Sterna forsteri

Black Tern ³⁵
Chlidonias niger

Sabine's Gull ⁸
Xema sabini

Common Loon ⁸
Gavia immer

Prairie Falcon ³⁶
Falco mexicanus

Peregrine Falcon ³⁷
Falco peregrinus

American Kestrel ³⁸
Falco sparverius

Merlin ³⁶
Falco columbarius

Turkey Vulture ³⁹
Cathartes aura

Killdeer ⁴⁰
Charadrius vociferus

Mountain Plover ⁴¹
Charadrius montanus

Semipalmated Plover ⁴²
Charadrius semipalmatus

American Avocet ⁴³
Recurvirostra americana

Snowy Egret ⁴⁴
Egretta thula

Great Blue Heron ¹
Ardea herodias

Black-crowned Night Heron ⁴⁵
Nycticorax nycticorax

Cattle Egret ⁴¹
Bubulcus ibis

American Bittern ⁴⁶
Botaurus lentiginosus

Golden Eagle ⁴⁷
Aquila chrysaetos

Sharp-shinned Hawk ¹⁰
Accipiter striatus

Northern Goshawk ⁴⁸
Accipiter gentilis

Cooper's Hawk ⁴⁹
Accipiter cooperii

Ferruginous Hawk ⁵⁰
Buteo regalis

Swainson's Hawk ⁵⁰
Buteo swainsoni

Rough-legged Hawk ⁵¹
Buteo lagopus

Red-tailed Hawk ⁵²
Buteo jamaicensis

Broad-winged Hawk ⁵³
Buteo platypterus

Bald Eagle ⁵⁴
Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Rufous Hummingbird ⁵²
Selasphorus rufus

Broad-tailed Hummingbird ⁵⁵
Selasphorus platycercus

Black-chinned Hummingbird ⁵⁶
Archilochus alexandri

Magnificent Hummingbirds ⁸
Eugenes

White-throated Swift ⁵⁷
Aeronautes saxatalis

Chimney Swift ⁴¹
Chaetura pelagica

Black Swift ⁵⁸
Cypseloides niger

Trumpeter Swan ⁵⁹
Cygnus buccinator

Tundra Swan ⁶⁰
Cygnus columbianus

Mallard ⁶¹
Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Pintail ⁶²
Anas acuta

Green-winged Teal ²³
Anas crecca

Gadwall ⁶³
Anas strepera

Northern Shoveler ⁶⁴
Anas clypeata

Common Goldeneye ¹³
Bucephala clangula

Bufflehead ⁶⁴
Bucephala albeola

Red-breasted Merganser ⁶⁵
Mergus serrator

Common Merganser ⁶³
Mergus merganser

Ring-necked Duck ⁶⁴
Aythya collaris

Tufted Duck ⁶⁴
Aythya fuligula

Greater Scaup
Aythya marila

Lesser Scaup ⁶⁶
Aythya affinis

Redhead
Aythya americana

Canvasback ⁸
Aythya valisineria

Ruddy Duck ²⁴
Oxyura jamaicensis

Canada Goose ⁶⁷
Branta canadensis

Wood Duck ⁶⁸
Aix sponsa

Hooded Merganser ⁶⁹
Lophodytes cucullatus

Horned Lark ⁷⁰
Eremophila alpestris

Cedar Waxwing ⁷¹
Bombycilla cedrorum

Bohemian Waxwing ⁶⁴
Bombycilla garrulus

Brown Creeper ⁷²
Certhia americana

Canyon Wren ⁷³
Catherpes mexicanus

Rock Wren ⁸
Salpinctes obsoletus

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ⁸
Polioptila caerulea

Edited by srupinsky, Melanie Hill, Deborah H Price, and Dave Sutherland, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

Photo Credits

1. (c) Mike Baird, some rights reserved (CC BY)
2. (c) Blake Matheson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
3. (c) Jack Wolf, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND)
4. (c) Wayne Dumbleton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
5. (c) Tim Giller, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Tim Giller
6. (c) Philip Mark Osso, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Philip Mark Osso
7. (c) Greg Schechter, some rights reserved (CC BY)
8. (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
9. (c) Dan Dzurisin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
10. (c) Rick Leche - Photography, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
11. (c) Rudo JureÄek, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
12. (c) Mike Pennington, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
13. (c) Doug Greenberg, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
14. (c) Vincent Scheidt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Vincent Scheidt
15. (c) tnewman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
16. (c) Linda Tanner, some rights reserved (CC BY)
17. (c) Jamie Chavez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
18. (c) 116916927065934112165, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by 116916927065934112165
19. (c) Nick Chill, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
20. (c) Kakalotli, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kakalotli
21. (c) Len Blumin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
22. (c) Pablo Caceres Contreras, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
23. (c) Mark Kilner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
24. (c) Erin and Lance Willett, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
25. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
26. (c) Len Blumin, some rights reserved (CC BY)
27. (c) Mdf, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
28. (c) Dario Sanches, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
29. (c) Alan R. Biggs, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Alan R. Biggs
30. (c) TexasEagle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
31. (c) Gary Ashley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
32. (c) Lip Kee, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
33. (c) docentjoyce, some rights reserved (CC BY)
34. (c) Jack Wolf, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
35. (c) Ómar Runólfsson, some rights reserved (CC BY)
36. (c) BJ Stacey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
37. (c) Alvaro Jaramillo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alvaro Jaramillo
38. (c) Jesus cortes, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jesus cortes
39. (c) David Baron, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
40. (c) Stewart Ho, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
41. (c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley
42. (c) Bob, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
43. (c) C.V. Vick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
44. (c) cindylemon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cindylemon
45. no rights reserved, uploaded by Scott Loarie
46. (c) Mike Leveille, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Mike Leveille
47. (c) Peter Kaminski, some rights reserved (CC BY)
48. (c) roy pilcher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by roy pilcher
49. (c) David Hofmann, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
50. (c) rbbrummitt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by rbbrummitt
51. (c) Rick Leche - Photography, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
52. (c) Andrew Reding, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
53. (c) Alejandro Bayer Tamayo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
54. (c) matlacha, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
55. (c) Steven Mlodinow, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Steven Mlodinow
56. (c) Rick Snider, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rick Snider
57. (c) Michael Woodruff, some rights reserved (CC BY)
58. (c) Rafael Rodríguez Brito, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rafael Rodríguez Brito
59. (c) dnydick, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by dnydick
60. (c) Chris Rohrer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Chris Rohrer
61. (c) Charles Lam, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
62. (c) Rick Leche, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
63. (c) Luciano Giussani, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
64. (c) Rick Leche, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
65. (c) Robert Keereweer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
66. (c) Paul Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY-ND)
67. (c) brendan.lally, some rights reserved (CC BY)
68. (c) ian wetton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
69. (c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Donna Pomeroy
70. (c) Bill Carrell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Bill Carrell
71. (c) 106584015630019574849, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by 106584015630019574849
72. (c) Michael D Fox, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael D Fox

Wildlife of Boulder County

Sora 1 Porzana carolina

Virginia Rail 2 Rallus limicola

American Coot 3 Fulica americana

Wild Turkey 4 Meleagris gallopavo

White-tailed Ptarmigan 5 Lagopus leucura

Ring-necked Pheasant 6 Phasianus colchicus

Greater Prairie-Chicken 7 Tympanuchus cupido

Dusky Grouse 8 Dendragapus obscurus

Greater Sage-Grouse 9 Centrocercus urophasianus

Belted Kingfisher 10 Megaceryle alcyon

Eurasian Collared Dove 11 Streptopelia decaocto

Rock Dove 12 Columba livia

Band-tailed Pigeon 13 Patagioenas fasciata

Mourning Dove 14 Zenaida macroura

White-winged Dove 15 Zenaida asiatica

White-faced Ibis 16 Plegadis chihi

Baird's Sandpiper 17 Calidris bairdii

Semipalmated Sandpiper 18 Calidris pusilla

Least Sandpiper 19 Calidris minutilla

Long-billed Dowitcher 20 Limnodromus scolopaceus

Solitary Sandpiper 21 Tringa solitaria

Greater Yellowlegs 21 Tringa melanoleuca

Lesser Yellowlegs 22 Tringa flavipes

Common Snipe 23 Gallinago gallinago

Upland Sandpiper 8 Bartramia longicauda

Eared Grebe 24 Podiceps nigricollis

Red-necked Grebe 25 Podiceps grisegena

Clark's Grebe 21 Aechmophorus clarkii

Western Grebe 1 Aechmophorus occidentalis

Pied-billed Grebe 26 Podilymbus podiceps

Double-crested Cormorant 27 Phalacrocorax auritus

Neotropic Cormorant 28 Phalacrocorax brasilianus

Brown Pelican 29 Pelecanus occidentalis

American White Pelican 30 Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Ring-billed Gull 31 Larus delawarensis

Herring Gull 32 Larus argentatus

California Gull 33 Larus californicus

Forster's Tern 34 Sterna forsteri

Black Tern 35 Chlidonias niger

Sabine's Gull 8 Xema sabini

Common Loon 8 Gavia immer

Prairie Falcon 36 Falco mexicanus

Peregrine Falcon 37 Falco peregrinus

American Kestrel 38 Falco sparverius

Merlin 36 Falco columbarius

Turkey Vulture 39 Cathartes aura

Killdeer 40 Charadrius vociferus

Mountain Plover 41 Charadrius montanus

Semipalmated Plover 42 Charadrius semipalmatus

American Avocet 43 Recurvirostra americana

Snowy Egret 44 Egretta thula

Great Blue Heron 1 Ardea herodias

Black-crowned Night Heron 45 Nycticorax nycticorax

Cattle Egret 41 Bubulcus ibis

American Bittern 46 Botaurus lentiginosus

Golden Eagle 47 Aquila chrysaetos

Sharp-shinned Hawk 10 Accipiter striatus

Northern Goshawk 48 Accipiter gentilis

Cooper's Hawk 49 Accipiter cooperii

Ferruginous Hawk 50 Buteo regalis

Swainson's Hawk 50 Buteo swainsoni

Rough-legged Hawk 51 Buteo lagopus

Red-tailed Hawk 52 Buteo jamaicensis

Broad-winged Hawk 53 Buteo platypterus

Bald Eagle 54 Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Rufous Hummingbird 52 Selasphorus rufus

Broad-tailed Hummingbird 55 Selasphorus platycercus

Black-chinned Hummingbird 56 Archilochus alexandri

Magnificent Hummingbirds 8 Eugenes

White-throated Swift 57 Aeronautes saxatalis

Chimney Swift 41 Chaetura pelagica

Black Swift 58 Cypseloides niger

Trumpeter Swan 59 Cygnus buccinator

Tundra Swan 60 Cygnus columbianus

Mallard 61 Anas platyrhynchos

Northern Pintail 62 Anas acuta

Green-winged Teal 23 Anas crecca

Gadwall 63 Anas strepera

Northern Shoveler 64 Anas clypeata