Colorado Birding

Routt County
Author(s):  Tom Litteral, The Yampa Valley Birding Club
County Seat: Steamboat Springs
Size: 2,367 square miles
Low Elevation: 6,237 ft. - Yampa River on the Moffat border
High Elevation: 12,180 ft. - Mount Zirkel
Best Birds: Pomarine Jaeger (1999), Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (2000)
Checklist: Routt County Checklist
Introduction: The eastern border of Routt County lies along the Continental Divide. The Zirkel Wilderness in the northeast, the Flattops Wilderness to the southwest and the Sarvis Creek Wilderness in between supply meltwater for the Yampa River Valley. This river valley and its tributary valleys dominate both the economic pulse and wildlife abundence of Routt County. The eastern half of the county is considered "high country," reaching 11,000 feet but staying heavily forested. The land drains to the west, slowly dropping in elevation to 6,000 feet. In the western portion of Routt County the cottonwood floodplain habitat is very important to birdlife. Small open areas between mountain ranges called "parks" are high sagebrush-dominated areas scattered throughout the county. Four open water areas (Steamboat Lake, Pearl Lake, Stagecoach Reservoir, and Lake Catamount) are important waterfowl migratory stopover locations.

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