Online Resources
Download an up-to-date state or county bird species checklist from the Colorado Field Ornithologists.
eBird - Use the app to keep track of the birds you see and to submit your observations to an international community science project. Use the website to learn more about bird migration, local hotspots, and more.
Merlin - This app is great for those just starting out with bird ID as it helps you narrow down what you are seeing through a series of questions. If you manage to take a good picture it can also recommend an ID based on your image.
USFWS Feather Atlas - help you identify that feather you found in your yard or while out walking.
What else is out there?
Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range
Boulder County has a bounty of butterflies. Learn more about local butterflies from the Boulder County Nature Association’s Colorado Front Range Butterflies web site.
If you prefer a book or e-book format, the newly expanded Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range, by Janet Chu and Stephen Jones, is a fantastic guide that includes twenty species of these eye-catching insects not included in the first edition. Striking photos and clear descriptions make it easy to identify 100 species frequently observed from the Wyoming border to Pueblo. A month-by-month chart reveals when and where to look for your favorite butterflies. In the e-version, hyperlinks make it easy to compare and identify similar species. View the sample page of the Bronze Copper. 120 color photos.
Dragonflies of the Colorado Front Range
Dragonflies are dainty, but deadly, as they dart over ponds and clearings on the hunt for prey. How can they fail to catch the eye with such shimmering rainbow colors?
Showcasing 45 dragonflies and 28 damselflies, Dragonflies of the Colorado Front Range, by Ann Cooper, covers the most common species found from the northern Colorado border south to Walsenburg, CO. Accompanying more than 90 brilliant photographs are descriptions of habitat, appearance, length, behavior, similar species, flight time, and interesting facts for each species. Introductory material includes tips on watching, identifying, and photographing these tiny jewels. This field guide is excellent for beginners and naturalists who would like to identify and enjoy dragonflies.
This book is a publication of the Boulder County Nature Association.
Insects and Kin of the Colorado Front Range
Insects and Kin, by Lynn and Gene Monroe with Pam Piombino contributing many of the photographs, is a comprehensive guide to the major orders of insects (1,224 species) and other arthropods (42 species, including spiders) that you are likely to observe throughout Colorado’s seven Front Range life zones. This work is based on a photographic and natural history field survey of over 29 years. The writing is clear and concise with each of the 1224 species of insects detailed have one to three color photographs. There are a total of 2,557 color photographs taken in the wild with just a few exceptions. Each taxonomic group starts with an overview of the Family. Each of the Genus or species descriptions includes a physical description, their geographical range, when in the year they are active, and their plant and habitat associations.
This book can be purchased directly from the authors. Find out more.
Related Organizations
Here in Boulder County we are lucky enough to have many wonderful organizations that support enjoyment of the outdoors, wildlife and habitat conservation, research, and education. Below are a few organizations and entities that you may want to explore, given your interest in Boulder County Audubon Society.
Quoted descriptions come from the individual organization’s website.
National Audubon Society
“The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation”.
Audubon Rockies
Find out about National Audubon’s activities in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.
Boulder Country Nature Association
“The Boulder County Nature Association (BCNA) is a private, non-profit, publicly-funded organization committed to educate, inform, and inspire for the pupose of conserving and promoting resilient natural ecosystems in our region.” BCAS and BCNA work together on a number of initiatives, including Nature-Net. BCNA continues to gather information about Boulder County’s natural and cultural history through historical research, wildlife inventories, geological research, and natural area studies, and flora and fauna studies.
Boulder Bird Club
The Boulder Bird Club invites you to “come and share our enthusiasm for bird watching and meet new birding friends. Learn more about birds and their behaviors as we observe them in the field.”
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
Find out about ongoing educational activities, up-to-date trail and park news, and other important information about many of your favorite places to visit in Boulder County.
Boulder Rights of Nature
Boulder Rights of Nature is a “group of citizen activists of diverse social and political affiliations who are united in our belief in the importance of rights for nature.”
City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks
Find out about what is going on at many of your favorite places to bird and walk around Boulder.
Find out about what is going on at your favorite places to bird and walk in Lafayette.
City of Longmont Parks, Open Space and Trails
Find out about what is going on at many of your favorite places to bird and walk around Longmont.
Find out about what is going on at your favorite places to bird and walk in Louisville.
City of Superior Parks, Trails and Open Space
Find out about what is going on at your favorite places to bird and walk in Superior.
Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute
A two-part mission: research, especially ecology of birds within the Estes Valley and Rocky Mountain National Park, and rehabilitation. The website has a wealth of information on regional raptors and owls.
Colorado Birding Trail
“The Colorado Birding Trail is a major nature tourism initiative to promote responsible outdoor recreation and conservation of Colorado’s natural resources. Working with private landowners, the Trail helps promote travel to agricultural landscapes, contributing to a diversified income for rural economies. The Birding Trail links these private sites with public parks and open spaces, creating a network of areas visitors can observe birds and other wildlife, as well as archaeological and paleontological treasures.”
Colorado Field Ornithologists
“Colorado Field Ornithologists is a non-profit, volunteer organization devoted to the study, conservation, and enjoyment of Colorado’s birds.” They host an annual convention, many field trips, the state records committee, and many other avian-related events, plus the Cobirds listserv.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
“We use science to understand the world, to find new ways to make conservation work, and to involve people who share our passion.” This text would be far too long if we listed all the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers to those interested in birds. Their valuable offerings include eBird, All About Birds, Project FeederWatch, and many, many more.
Bill Schmoker’s Website
Local insights into the area’s birds and wildlife.