Your Guide to Birding

Arapahoe County
Author(s): Jared Del Rosso, Nathan Pieplow, Andrew Spencer, Steve Stachowiak
County Seat: Littleton
Size: 800 square miles
Low Elevation: 4,743 ft. - Beaver Creek on the Washington border
High Elevation: 6,210 ft. - Smoky Hill Ridge
Best Birds: Arctic Loon (2002), Wood Stork (1902), Black-headed Gull (1988)
Checklist: Arapahoe County Checklist
Introduction: Like Adams County, its neighbor to the north, Arapahoe is a long, long rectangle whose western quarter is urban and whose eastern three quarters are nearly empty. Like in Adams, the undisputed crown jewel of birding sites in Arapahoe is one state park built around a large reservoir--in this case, Cherry Creek Reservoir.

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Birding Sites

Aurora Reservoir
Habitat: Reservoir, Lowland Riparian, Grassland/Prairie
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Bowles Grove Park
Habitat: Pond, Park, Lowland Riparian
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Centennial Park
Habitat: Pond, Park
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Cherry Creek State Park
Habitat: Reservoir, Lowland Riparian, Grassland/Prairie
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Coal Creek Arena
Habitat: Lowland Riparian, Stream
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Deer Trail
Habitat: Urban/Suburban
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High Line Canal (Arapahoe County portion)
Habitat: Lowland Riparian, Pond
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Ketring Pond
Habitat: Pond, Park
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McLellen Reservoir
Habitat: Reservoir
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Quincy Reservoir
Habitat: Reservoir, Lowland Riparian
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South Platte Park
Habitat: Lowland Riparian, Pond, Marsh
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Utah Park
Habitat: Park, Pond, Marsh, Lowland Riparian
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Use the form on the home page to contact the editor with corrections or to volunteer to add a site.

eBird Seasonal Bar Chart

Latest Unusual Birds (eBird) in Arapahoe County

CBRC Accepted Records from Arapahoe County

Species	Accession No.	Date(s)
Snow Goose	2023-037	18 Nov 2023
Brant	2021-015	3 Mar 2021
Brant (Atlantic)	8-81-58	10/24/1981 - 10/31/1981
Brant (Black)	1999-020	11/17/1999 - 11/20/1999
Brant (Black)	2005-014	2/25/2005 - 4/3/2005
Brant (Black)	2006-186	1/1/2006
Brant (Black)	2017-004	01/15/2017
Barnacle Goose	2018-029	01/09/2018
Cackling Goose	2002-172	1/13/2002
Cackling Goose (Ridgway's)	2015-011	23 Jan 2015
Eurasian Wigeon	2012-017	1/19/1994
Black Scoter	8-75-154	11/9/1975 - 11/16/1975
Black Scoter	8-75-161	11/15/1975 - 11/22/1975
Black Scoter	8-76-100	10/12/1976
Black Scoter	8-78-1	10/28/1977 - 10/30/1977
Black Scoter	8-93-99	11/16/1993
Wild Turkey	2015-021	06/25/2011
Red-necked Grebe	2-95-5	12/20/1995
Red-necked Grebe	1998-004	10/31/1998
Band-tailed Pigeon	2012-162	5/26/2012
White-winged Dove	1998-073	6/24/1998
Piping Plover	18-75-59	17 May 1975
Piping Plover	2019-021	8 May 2019
Red Knot	19-93-29	8/8/1993
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	19-74-101	9/6/1974
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	19-77-69	9/7/1977
Buff-breasted Sandpiper	2009-080	8/30/2009
Short-billed Dowitcher	19-94-28	9/14/1994
Short-billed Dowitcher	2011-042	5/1/2011
Red Phalarope	2007-058	9/11/2007
Red Phalarope	2007-092	11/6/2007
Jaeger sp.	22-73-143	12/17/1973
Jaeger sp.	22-75-116	8/15/1975
Jaeger sp.	22-86-41	9/26/1985
Pomarine Jaeger	1963-001	9/30/1963
Pomarine Jaeger	22-75-147	10/5/1975
Pomarine Jaeger	22-86-1	11/23/1985
Pomarine Jaeger	22-96-18	11/19/1996
Pomarine Jaeger	1999-049	11/15/1999
Pomarine Jaeger	2005-093	9/14/2005
Pomarine Jaeger	2006-121	9/5/2006
Pomarine Jaeger	2006-132	9/24/2006 - 10/5/2006
Parasitic Jaeger	2016-094	09/15/2016
Long-tailed Jaeger	22-73-115	9/20/1973
Long-tailed Jaeger	2008-103	9/7/2008 - 9/24/2008
Long-tailed Jaeger	2010-094	9/6/2010
Long-tailed Jaeger	2011-115	9/10/2011 - 9/11/2011
Black-legged Kittiwake	23-83-70	12/5/1982
Black-legged Kittiwake	23-85-3	11/10/1984 - 11/11/1984
Black-legged Kittiwake	1997-041	11/12/1997
Black-legged Kittiwake	2006-151	11/2/2006
Black-legged Kittiwake	2010-143	11/10/2010
Black-headed Gull	23-88-33	10/8/1988 - 10/9/1988
Little Gull	23-88-32	11/13/1988
Little Gull	23-89-19	8/30/1989
Little Gull	2002-080	9/18/2002
Little Gull	2014-120	08/19/2014
Ross's Gull	2010-151	11/19/2010 - 11/23/2010
Laughing Gull	23-77-19	4/17/1977
Laughing Gull	23-93-44	12/13/1993
Laughing Gull	23-95-37	8/31/1995
Laughing Gull	2012-049	4/20/2012
Short-billed Gull	23-85-1	1/29/1985
Short-billed Gull	23-93-35	11/18/1992
Short-billed Gull	23-96-25	11/2/1996
Short-billed Gull	1999-058	11/20/1999 - 11/21/1999
Short-billed Gull	2005-138	12/12/2005
Short-billed Gull	2008-136	11/29/2008
Short-billed Gull	2014-019	09/27/2008
Short-billed Gull	2010-153	11/21/2010
Western Gull	2011-081	6/1/2011 - 6/18/2011
Iceland Gull	2005-009	2/11/2005 - 2/12/2005
Iceland Gull	2014-092	12/11/2010
Iceland Gull	2011-183	12/31/2011
Iceland Gull	2014-006	01/11/2014
Iceland Gull	2014-042	01/19/2014
Lesser Black-backed Gull	23-90-25	11/17/1990
Lesser Black-backed Gull	23-92-41	11/11/1992 - 11/14/1992
Lesser Black-backed Gull	23-92-90	2/24/1992
Lesser Black-backed Gull	1999-068	12/4/1999
Lesser Black-backed Gull	2000-057	11/12/2000
Lesser Black-backed Gull	2000-060	10/15/2000
Lesser Black-backed Gull	2001-145	12/24/2001
Slaty-backed Gull	2014-008	01/03/2014
Glaucous-winged Gull	23-89-20	4/11/1989 - 4/16/1989
Glaucous-winged Gull	23-92-82	5/1/1990
Glaucous-winged Gull	23-92-81	3/1/1992 - 4/1/1992
Glaucous-winged Gull	2001-016	3/9/2001
Glaucous-winged Gull	2002-129	2/26/2002
Glaucous-winged Gull	2003-022	3/29/2003 - 3/30/2003
Glaucous-winged Gull	2005-015	3/14/2005
Glaucous-winged Gull	2011-182	12/31/2011
Glaucous-winged Gull	2013-268	11/24/2013
Glaucous-winged Gull	2014-010	01/03/2014
Glaucous-winged Gull	2016-004	01/13/2015
Glaucous-winged Gull	2017-005	01/15/2017
Glaucous-winged Gull	2017-078	01/15/2017
Glaucous-winged Gull	2017-079	01/28/2017
Glaucous-winged Gull	2019-014	02/20/2019
Great Black-backed Gull	23-80-14	1/3/1980 - 1/4/1980
Great Black-backed Gull	23-95-44	9/17/1995 - 10/25/1995
Great Black-backed Gull	2000-063	10/15/2000 - 11/12/2000
Great Black-backed Gull	2005-010	2/12/2005
Great Black-backed Gull	2013-108	01/23/2011
Arctic Tern	2013-213	09/21/2013
Red-throated Loon	1-78-18	12/17/1977 - 12/25/1977
Red-throated Loon	1-86-59	11/2/1986
Red-throated Loon	1-92-8	11/14/1992
Red-throated Loon	1-93-100	11/11/1993
Red-throated Loon	2010-150	11/19/2010
Red-throated Loon	2011-035	4/19/2011
Wood Stork	1902-002	8/30/1902
Magnificent Frigatebird	2020-025	8 Nov 2020
Neotropic Cormorant	4-94-6	10/30/1994
Neotropic Cormorant	2011-025	4/8/2011 - 4/15/2011
Neotropic Cormorant	2011-147	10/22/2011
American White Pelican	2016-108	01 Jan 2016
Brown Pelican	1999-009	9/5/1999
Little Blue Heron	5-75-33	4/12/1975 - 4/15/1975
Little Blue Heron	2013-308	06 Jun 2013
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	1914-001	5/3/1914
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	2012-139	7/25/2012 - 7/26/2012
Glossy Ibis	1999-015	4/26/1999
Swallow-tailed Kite	10-83-25	7 Apr 1983 to 24 May 1983
Red-shouldered Hawk	2000-027	1/1/2000 - 3/11/2000
Snowy Owl	2011-181	12/28/2011
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	2015-018	01/22/2011
Northern Flicker	2013-297	09 Feb 2013
White-eyed Vireo	2014-196	03 Jun 2014
White-eyed Vireo	2015-020	05/23/2014
Blue-headed Vireo	2008-099	9/4/2008
Philadelphia Vireo	51-75-137	9/14/1971
Philadelphia Vireo	51-81-43	9/8/1980
Bushtit	2015-152	29 Jun 2015
Carolina Wren	42-89-37	1/4/1989
Carolina Wren	2000-113	12/12/1999
Northern Mockingbird	2014-189	22 Apr 2014
Western Bluebird	2019-023	10 Oct 2019
Gray-cheeked Thrush	44-76-58	5/17/1976
Varied Thrush	2011-169	11/21/2011
Common Redpoll	2013-086	12/28/2012
Common Redpoll	2013-135	12/13/2012
Common Redpoll	2013-089	02/06/2013
Common Redpoll	2013-092	03/11/2013
Common Redpoll	2015-154	01 Nov 2015
Golden-crowned Sparrow	2001-017	1/1/2001
Golden-crowned Sparrow	2012-199	10/10/2012
Nelson's Sparrow	2020-030	25 Sep 2020
Golden-winged Warbler	52-85-44	6/6/1985
Prothonotary Warbler	1962-001	8/25/1962
Prothonotary Warbler	52-96-79	9/29/1996
Lucy's Warbler	2023-016	17 Apr 2023
Mourning Warbler	2008-100	9/5/2008
Bay-breasted Warbler	52-73-54	6/16/1973
Blackburnian Warbler	2005-084	9/3/2005
Black-throated Blue Warbler	2011-222	18 Oct 2011
Palm Warbler	2008-163	25 Sep 2008
Pine Warbler	2005-094	9/15/2005
Pine Warbler	2014-096	12/12/2011
Prairie Warbler	2014-181	05/24/2014
Canada Warbler	52-75-135	10/27/1970
Canada Warbler	52-94-83	10/4/1994
Northern Cardinal	2006-187	1/15/2006 - 3/30/2006
Rose-breasted Grosbeak	2014-195	30 May 2014