Colorado Birding

Montezuma County
Author(s):  James Beatty, James D. Beatty, Nathan Pieplow, Andrew Spencer
County Seat: Cortez
Size: 2,038 square miles
Low Elevation: 4,598 ft. - San Juan River on the UT border
High Elevation: 13,232 ft. - Hesperus Mountain
Best Birds: Hooded Oriole (2006), Common Moorhen (1992)
Checklist: Montezuma County Checklist
Introduction: The southwestern cornerstone of Colorado, Montezuma County is a land of contrasts. It contains such well-known landmarks as Mesa Verde National Park and the Four Corners, lesser-known National Monuments like Hovenweep and Canyons of the Ancients, reservoirs large and small, parched desert canyons, and lush coniferous mountain forests. It is also a land of bitter ironies, as evidenced by its namesake and that of its county seat. The southern half of the county is part of the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation, which is essentially off limits to birders. This underbirded county would be a great place to find Colorado's next first state record...Rufous-backed Robin, anyone?

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