Habitats and their associated birds Colorado is blessed with a tremendous variety of habitat types, which results in a tremendous variety of birds. In order to find a bird, you are best off looking for its habitat, and this requires at least a basic knowledge of Colorado's flora and geology. This section describes the main habitat types and some birds that are associated with them and may be hard to find elsewhere. Sagebrush Foothill Shrubs Spruce-Fir Forest Yucca Ponderosa Pine Forest Alpine Tundra Shortgrass Prairie Aspen Groves Cliff Faces Lowland Riparian Woodland Lodgepole Pine Forest Subalpine Life Zone Scrub Oak Woodland Streamside Willows Rimrock and Mesa Country Pinyon-Juniper Forest In many parts of the state, the lower border of the ponderosa belt is characterized by variable shrubby thickets composed of oak, manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula), bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), boulder raspberry (Rubus deliciosus), and/or other plants. These thickets are the best places to find Virginia's Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Green-tailed Towhee.