Your Guide to Birding

in Otero County

County Map Otero County
Author(s):  Mark Peterson, Nathan Pieplow, Andrew Spencer
County Seat: La Junta
Size: 1,247 square miles
Low Elevation: 3,966 ft. - Arkansas River on the Bent border
High Elevation: 5,260 ft. - Dry Bluff
Best Birds: Harris's Hawk (1995), American Woodcock (2000)
Checklist: Otero County Checklist
Introduction: Right in the heart of the Arkansas River Valley, wonderful Otero County may have more birding spots per square mile than any other in the southeastern part of the state. In addition to its terrific lakes, sewage ponds and migrant traps, it may have better access to pinyon-juniper canyon country than any other southeastern county.

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Birding Sites

Bent's Old Fort and Oxbow State Wildlife Area
Habitat: Marsh, Grassland/Prairie, Lowland Riparian
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Fowler
Habitat: Urban/Suburban, Pond/Lake/Reservoir
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Higbee Cemetery
Habitat: Park/Cemetery, Rimrock/Mesa
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Horse Creek Reservoir
Habitat: Pond/Lake/Reservoir, Tamarisk, Grassland/Prairie
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La Junta
Habitat: Urban/Suburban, Park/Cemetery, Pond/Lake/Reservoir
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Lake Cheraw
Habitat: Pond/Lake/Reservoir
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Lake Holbrook
Habitat: Pond/Lake/Reservoir, Hedgerow/Shelterbelt
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Leininger Ranch
Habitat: Grassland/Prairie, Mesa/Rimrock
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Manzanola
Habitat: Urban/Suburban
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McComber Ranch
Habitat: Grassland/Prairie
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Otero CR E
Habitat: Sagebrush
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Picket Wire Canyon
Habitat: Pinyon/Juniper Forest, Sagebrush, Lowland Riparian, Stream
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Rocky Ford
Habitat: Urban/Suburban, Pond/Lake/Reservoir, Lowland Riparian, Wet Meadow
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Rocky Ford Canal
Habitat: Stream
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Taylor Reservoir
Habitat: Pond/Lake/Reservoir
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Terry Ranch
Habitat: Grassland/Prairie, Rimrock/Mesa, Lowland Riparian
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Timpas
Habitat: Grassland/Prairie, Tamarisk, Stream
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Timpas Creek State Wildlife Area
Habitat: Lowland Riparian, Pond/Lake/Reservoir
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Vogel Canyon
Habitat: Lowland Riparian, Rimrock, Cliff Face, Cholla, Grassland/Prairie, Pinyon-Juniper Forest
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Walter & Klein Ranch
Habitat: Grassland/Prairie, Mesa/Rimrock, Pinyon/Juniper Forest
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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 Otero County

 


CBRC Accepted Records from Otero County

SpeciesAccession No.Date(s)
Brant (Black)2013-016 12/15/2011
Trumpeter Swan8-84-2611/25/1983
Trumpeter Swan8-95-1112/30/1995
Eurasian Wigeon2006-172 12/17/2006
Red-necked Grebe2-96-45/17/1996 - 5/26/1996
Eurasian Collared-Dove25-96-346/26/1996 - 9/7/1996
Eurasian Collared-Dove1999-0805/17/1998
Eurasian Collared-Dove1999-0827/25/1999
Inca Dove2000-0762/27/2000 - 3/5/2000
Inca Dove2002-167 9/1/2002
Inca Dove2006-190 04/16/2005
White-winged Dove25-80-129/17/1979
White-winged Dove1998-0749/16/1998
Lesser Nighthawk1997-0535/12/1997 - 5/28/1997
Ruby-throated Hummingbird2014-114 07/29/2014
Common Gallinule2014-079 05/27/2014
Black Rail17-91-265/7/1991 - 5/27/1991
Black Rail17-94-215/7/1994
Black Rail17-95-255/12/1995 - 7/16/1995
Black Rail1998-039 9 May 1997 - 11 July 1997
Snowy Plover2005-016 4/2/2005
Hudsonian Godwit19-89-125/14/1989
Hudsonian Godwit19-93-675/23/1992
Hudsonian Godwit1998-0455/14/1998
Hudsonian Godwit2016-026 04/19/2016
Ruddy Turnstone18-89-139/16/1989
Ruddy Turnstone19-95-285/25/1995
Ruddy Turnstone1997-0279/5/1997
Ruddy Turnstone1997-0289/21/1997
Red Knot19-92-389/27/1992
Red Knot2000-0349/3/2000 - 9/10/2000
Red Knot2007-057 9/11/2007
Pectoral Sandpiper2002-17812/19/2002
Short-billed Dowitcher19-74-747/14/1974
Short-billed Dowitcher19-87-229/5/1987
Short-billed Dowitcher1999-0419/13/1998
Short-billed Dowitcher2011-043 5/1/2011
American Woodcock2000-0394/13/2000 - 5/10/2000
Red Phalarope21-92-3910/11/1992
Parasitic Jaeger22-89-169/14/1989
Little Gull23-89-187/23/1989 - 7/31/1989
Little Gull1997-03610/12/1997
Laughing Gull23-75-685/10/1975
Laughing Gull23-84-385/25/1984
Laughing Gull1998-0559/13/1998
Laughing Gull1998-05610/4/1998
Laughing Gull2012-155 7/15/2012
Lesser Black-backed Gull1998-06412/21/1998
Sooty Tern2008-107 9/12/2008
Arctic Tern2003-0526/18/2003
Red-throated Loon1-96-111/24/1996
Neotropic Cormorant2012-160 7/1/2012
Little Blue Heron5-94-74/24/1994
Little Blue Heron5-95-84/29/1995 - 5/8/1995
Tricolored Heron5-78-698/6/1978
Tricolored Heron1999-0135/16/1999
Reddish Egret5-94-109/1-25/1994
Reddish Egret2000-0139/3/2000 - 9/17/2000
Reddish Egret2012-085 6/24/2012 - 7/1/2012
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron2006-041 4/25/2006 - 5/22/2006
Glossy Ibis7-95-94/28/1995
Glossy Ibis1998-0165/14/1998
Glossy Ibis2000-0174/21/2000
Glossy Ibis2001-0495/2/2001
Harris's Hawk10-95-2110/14/1995
Red-shouldered Hawk1998-0333/1/1998
Zone-tailed Hawk2018-064 08/04/2018
Snowy Owl2002-9993/17/2002
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker2011-20327 Feb 2011
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher2006-134 9/19/2006 - 9/28/2006
Eastern Wood-Pewee34-95-595/21/1995
Alder Flycatcher34-95-616/4/1995
Black Phoebe2020-055 25 May 2020
Vermilion Flycatcher34-77-183/23/1977
Vermilion Flycatcher2000-087 
Vermilion Flycatcher2001-030 
Vermilion Flycatcher2002-155 9/14/2002
Yellow-throated Vireo1997-0765/12/1997
Yellow-throated Vireo2000-0965/4/2000
Philadelphia Vireo2000-10710/1/2000
Bendire's Thrasher43-76-136/9/1970
Gray-cheeked Thrush44-89-319/16/1989
Purple Finch56-96-1012/15/1996
Purple Finch2014-178 12/16/2014
Golden-crowned Sparrow2016-105 12/16/2016
Worm-eating Warbler52-93-1195/10/1988
Worm-eating Warbler1997-0985/9/1997
Prothonotary Warbler1997-0955/4/1997
Yellow-throated Warbler2001-0445/12/2001
Indigo Bunting2010-0041/10/2010
Painted Bunting2002-0685/16/2002