Your Guide to Birding

in Pitkin County

County Map Pitkin County
Author(s):  Linda Vidal
County Seat: Aspen
Size: 968 square miles
Low Elevation: 6,230 ft. - Crystal River on the Garfield border
High Elevation: 14,265 ft. - Castle Peak
Best Birds: Long-billed Murrelet (1982), Golden-crowned Sparrow (1996)
Checklist: Pitkin County Checklist
Introduction: Some people say that Pitkin County and the Roaring Fork Valley have up to eleven life zones. From high tundra above timberline to the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers, and along the many creeks flowing into the Roaring Fork, you have an opportunity to see a rich variety of bird life in all the life zones. The Roaring Fork, in the 60 miles before its confluence with the Colorado River, has a greater elevation drop than the entire Mississippi River Basin. There are a number of 14,000 foot peaks in Pitkin County and over 70% of the county is managed by either the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.

eBird eBird Hotspot     Private Private Sites (check details for access)      Other Other Sites
Powered By Subgurim(http://googlemaps.subgurim.net).Google Maps ASP.NET

Birding Sites

Arbaney Kittle & Sloane Peak Trail
Habitat: Pinyon-Juniper
More Information
Aspen
Habitat: Urban/Suburban
More Information
Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES)
Habitat: Foothill Shrub, Streamside Willow, Lowland Riparian, Pond/Lake/Reservoir
More Information
Castle Creek
Habitat: Foothill Shrub, Lowland Riparian, Spruce-Fir Forest, Aspen Grove
More Information
Crystal River Valley
Habitat: Foothill Shrub, Lowland Riparian, Spruce-Fir Forest, Aspen Grove
More Information
Difficult Campground
Habitat: Foothill Shrub, Spruce-Fir Forest, Streamside Willow
More Information
Independence Pass
Habitat: Alpine Tundra, Krummholz
More Information
Maroon Lake
Habitat: Lake, Foothill Shrub, Lowland Riparian, Spruce-Fir Forest, Aspen Grove
More Information
McClure Pass
Habitat: Aspen Grove, Mixed-Conifer Forest
More Information
North Star Preserve
Habitat: Streamside Willow, Lowland Riparian, Mountain Meadow, Foothill Shrub
More Information
Rio Grande Trail
Habitat: Lowland Riparian, Spruce-Fir Forest, Urban/Suburban, Mountain Meadow, Sagebrush
More Information
Thompson Creek Road
Habitat: Pinyon-Juniper
More Information
Weller Lake
Habitat: Spruce-Fir Forest, Aspen Grove, Streamside Willow, Foothill Shrub
More Information

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 Pitkin County

 


CBRC Accepted Records from Pitkin County

SpeciesAccession No.Date(s)
Long-billed Murrelet1982-0038/23/1982
Pacific Loon2016-099 10/28/2016
Curve-billed Thrasher2010-161 12/5/2010
Common Redpoll2013-028 12/30/2012
Cassia Crossbill2022-057 2 Aug 2022
Golden-crowned Sparrow56-96-10112/22/1996