Regional Birds

This guide to Birds of Boulder County Colorado features beautiful photos of every bird species likely to be seen in Boulder County. If you’d also like a printable checklist, download the Boulder County Checklist from the Colorado Field Ornithologists (2013 version; PDF).

Quick Links

The Boulder County Audubon Society greatly appreciates the images donated below. This page extensively features the photographs of Gerhard Assenmacher. Most are Gerhard’s photos, but he wants to acknowledge the following photographers who also contributed to this project:

Evan Assenmacher
Glenn Bartley
Don Brockmeier

Ken Cook
Alan Grant
Stephen Jones

Jennifer Price
Don Whittaker
Scott Rashid

The expanded version of each image bears a copyright notice, photographer’s name and information about each species. Please respect these specific copyrights if you want to use them elsewhere.

Boulder County Species of Primary Concern (Hallock and Jones 2010) are listed in italics with special concern designations in parentheses. A complete Boulder County Birds of Special Concern list is compiled by Boulder County Nature Association in cooperation with Boulder County Parks and Open Space.

We have Steve Jones to thank for the status, population and conservation information for each bird. Gerhard, Steve and Amy Schlotthauer worked together to make this online field guide possible. They each would like to thank the others for their unique contributions to the project.

The distribution and status of birds in Boulder County is ever changing. If you find incorrect information or would like to contribute additional information to this project, please contact us.

Using the Guide

Click on an image to expand it and see species information.
Use arrow keys to advance forward and backwards through the images.
Or the play button to automatically scroll through all image.
Click “X” to return to the larger gallery.

Swans, Geese and Ducks

American Wigeon (m) (Copy)

American Wigeon (f) (Copy)

Blue-winged Teal (m) (Copy)

Blue-winged Teal (f) (Copy)

Canada Goose (Copy)

Cinnamon Teal (m) (Copy)

Cinnamon Teal (f) (Copy)

Gadwall (m) (Copy)

Gadwall (f) (Copy)

Greater White-fronted Goose (Copy)

Mallard (m) (Copy)

Mallard (f) (Copy)

Northern Shoveler (m) (Copy)

Northern Shoveler (f) (Copy)

Snow Goose in flight (Copy)

Trumpeter Swan with young (Copy)

Tundra Swan (Copy)

Wood Duck (m) (Copy)

Wood Duck (f) (Copy)

Northern Pintail (m) (Copy)

Northern Pintail (f) (Copy)

Green-winged Teal (m) (Copy)

Green-winged Teal (f) (Copy)

Canvasback (m) (Copy)

Canvasback (f) (Copy)

Redhead Duck (m) (Copy)

Ring-necked Duck (m) (Copy)

Ring-necked Duck (f) (Copy)

Greater Scaup (m) (Copy)

Greater Scaup (f) (Copy)

Lesser Scaup (m) (Copy)

Lesser Scaup (f) (Copy)

Surf Scoter (Copy)

Long-tailed Duck (Copy)

Buffelhead (m) (Copy)

Buffelhead (f) (Copy)

Common Goldeneye (m) (Copy)

Common Goldeneye (f) (Copy)

Barrow's Goldeneye (m) (Copy)

Barrow's Goldeneye (f) (Copy)

Hooded Merganser (m) (Copy)

Hooded Merganser (f) (Copy)

Common Merganser (m) (Copy)

Common Merganser (f) (Copy)

Red-breasted Merganser (Copy)

Ruddy Duck (m) (Copy)

Ruddy Duck (f) (Copy)

Pheasants and Grouse

Ring-necked Pheasant (m) (Copy)

White-tailed Ptarmigan (summer plumage) (Copy)

White-tailed Ptarmigan (winter plumage) (Copy)

Dusky Grouse (Copy)

Wild Turkey (Copy)

Loons and Grebes

Common Loon (Copy)

Pied-billed Grebe (Copy)

Horned Grebe (Copy)

Horned Grebe (breeding) (Copy)

Eared Grebe (Copy)

Eared Grebe (winter) (Copy)

Western Grebe (Copy)

Clark's Grebe (Copy)

Double-crested Cormorant (Copy)

American White Pelican (Copy)

Bitterns, Herons and Ibis

American Bittern (Copy)

Great Blue Heron (Copy)

Great Egret (Copy)

Snowy Egret (Copy)

Green Heron (Copy)

Black-crowned Night Heron (Copy)

White-faced Ibis (Copy)

White-faced Ibis (winter) (Copy)

Vultures, Hawks, Eagles and Falcons

Turkey Vulture (Copy)

Osprey (Copy)

Bald Eagle (Copy)

Northern Harrier (Copy)

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Copy)

Cooper's Hawk (Copy)

Cooper's Hawk (juvenile) (Copy)

Northern Goshawk (Copy)

Swainson's Hawk (Copy)

Red-tailed Hawk (Copy)

Ferruginous Hawk (Copy)

Rough-legged Hawk (Copy)

Golden Eagle (Copy)

American Kestrel (Copy)

Peregrine Falcon (Copy)

Prairie Falcon (Copy)

Rails, Coot and Crane

Virginia Rail (Copy)

Sora (Copy)

American Coot (Copy)

Sandhill Crane (Copy)

Shorebirds

Killdeer (Copy)

Black-necked Stilt (Copy)

American Avocet (Copy)

American Avocet (winter) (Copy)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Copy)

Semipalmated Plover (Copy)

Spotted Sandpiper (Copy)

Solitary Sandpiper (Copy)

Greater Yellowlegs (Copy)

Lesser Yellowlegs (Copy)

Marbled Godwit (Copy)

Baird's Sandpiper (Copy)

Western Sandpiper (Copy)

Wilson's Snipe (Copy)

Wilson's Phalarope (Copy)

Red-necked Phalarope (Copy)

Gulls and Terns

Bonaparte's Gull (Copy)

Franklin's Gull (Copy)

Mew Gull (Copy)

Ring-billed Gull (Copy)

California Gull (Copy)

Herring Gull (Copy)

Thayer's Gull (Copy)

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Copy)

Black Tern (Copy)

Forster's Tern (Copy)

Pigeons and Doves

Rock Pigeon (Dove) (Copy)

Mourning Dove (Copy)

Eurasian Collared Dove (Copy)

Owls

Barn Owl (Copy)

Flammulated Owl (Copy)

Eastern Screech Owl (Copy)

Great Horned Owl (Copy)

Northern Pygmy Owl (Copy)

Burrowing Owl (Copy)

Long-eared Owl (Copy)

Short-eared Owl (Copy)

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Copy)

Boreal Owl (Copy)

Nighthawks, Swifts, Hummingbirds and Kingfisher

Common Nighthawk (Copy)

Common Poorwill (Copy)

Chimney Swift (Copy)

White-throated Swift (Copy)

Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Copy)

Rufous Hummingbird (Copy)

Belted Kingfisher (Copy)

Woodpeckers

Williamson's Sapsucker (male) (Copy)

Williamson's Sapsucker (female) (Copy)

Red-naped Sapsucker (Copy)

Downy Woodpecker (Copy)

Hairy Woodpecker (Copy)

Three-toed Woodpecker (Copy)

Northern Flicker (Copy)

Flycatchers, Shrikes and Vireos

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Copy)

Western Wood-Pewee (Copy)

Hammond's Flycatcher (Copy)

Dusky Flycatcher (Copy)

Cordilleran Flycatcher (Copy)

Say's Phoebe (Copy)

Western Kingbird (Copy)

Eastern Kingbird (Copy)

Loggerhead Shrike (Copy)

Northern Shrike (Copy)

Plumbeous Vireo (Copy)

Warbling Vireo (Copy)

Corvids

Gray Jay (Copy)

Steller's Jay (Copy)

Blue Jay (Copy)

Woodhouse's Scrub Jay (Copy)

Clark's Nutcracker (Copy)

Black-billed Magpie (Copy)

American Crow (Copy)

Common Raven (Copy)

Lark and Swallows

Horned Lark (Copy)

Tree Swallow (Copy)

Violet-green Swallow (Copy)

Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Copy)

Bank Swallow (Copy)

Cliff Swallow (Copy)

Barn Swallow (Copy)

Chickadees, Nuthatches and Creeper

Black-capped Chickadee (Copy)

Mountain Chickadee (Copy)

Bushtit (Copy)

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Copy)

White-breasted Nuthatch (Copy)

Pygmy Nuthatch (Copy)

Brown Creeper (Copy)

Wrens, Gnatcatcher, Kinglets and Dipper

Rock Wren (Copy)

Canyon Wren (Copy)

House Wren (Copy)

Marsh Wren (Copy)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Copy)

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Copy)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Copy)

American Dipper (Copy)

Thrushes

Eastern Bluebird (m) (Copy)

Eastern Bluebird (f) (Copy)

Western Bluebird (m) (Copy)

Western Bluebird (f) (Copy)

Mountain Bluebird (m) (Copy)

Mountain Bluebird (f) (Copy)

Townsend's Solitaire (Copy)

Swainson's Thrush (Copy)

Hermit Thrush (Copy)

American Robin (Copy)

Gray Catbird (Copy)

Northern Mockingbird (Copy)

Sage Thrasher (Copy)

Brown Thrasher (Copy)

Starling, Pipit and Waxwings

European Starling (Copy)

American Pipit (Copy)

Bohemian Waxwing (Copy)

Cedar Waxwing (Copy)

Warblers

Yellow-crowned Warbler (Copy)

Virginia's Warbler (Copy)

Yellow Warbler (Copy)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Copy)

Townsend's Warbler (Copy)

American Redstart (Copy)

Ovenbird (Copy)

MacGillivray's Warbler (Copy)

Common Yellowthroat (Copy)

Wilson's Warbler (Copy)

Yellow-breasted Chat (Copy)

Towhees and Sparrows

Green-tailed Towhee (Copy)

Spotted Towhee (Copy)

American Tree Sparrow (Copy)

Chipping Sparrow (Copy)

Brewer's Sparrow (Copy)

Vesper Sparrow (Copy)

Lark Sparrow (Copy)

Lark Bunting (Copy)

Savannah Sparrow (Copy)

Grasshopper Sparrow (Copy)

Fox Sparrow (Copy)

Song Sparrow (Copy)

Lincoln's Sparrow (Copy)

White-crowned Sparrow (Copy)

Dark-eyed Junco (Copy)

Tanagers, Grosbeaks, Buntings and Blackbirds

Western Tanager (m) (Copy)

Western Tanager (f) (Copy)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Copy)

Black-headed Grosbeak (m) (Copy)

Blue Grosbeak (Copy)

Lazuli Bunting (m) (Copy)

Lazuli Bunting (f) (Copy)

Indigo Bunting (Copy)

Bobolink (Copy)

Red-winged Blackbird (m) (Copy)

Red-winged Blackbird (f) (Copy)

Western Meadowlark (Copy)

Yellow-headed Blackbird (Copy)

Brewer's Blackbird (Copy)

Common Grackle (Copy)

Great-tailed Grackle (Copy)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Copy)

Bullock's Oriole (m) (Copy)

Orchard Oriole (Copy)

Finches

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (Copy)

Brown-capped Rosy Finch (Copy)

Pine Grosbeak (Copy)

Cassin's Finch (Copy)

House Finch (m) (Copy)

House Finch (f) (Copy)

Red Crossbill (Copy)

Pine Siskin (Copy)

Lesser Goldfinch (Copy)

American Goldfinch (m) (Copy)

American Goldfinch (f) (Copy)

Evening Grosbeak (Copy)

House Sparrow (Copy)