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Wildlife of Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Colorado. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Arapaho
National Wildlife
Refuge
Wildlife List
Home for Wildlife
This goose,
designed by J.N.
“Ding” Darling,
is the symbol
of the National
Wildlife Refuge
System.
Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)
is located in an intermountain glacial
basin south of Walden, the county
seat of Jackson County, Colorado.
The Refuge was established in 1967 to
provide migratory birds with a
suitable place to nest and rear their
young. It was created to offset, in
part, losses of nesting habitat in the
prairie wetland region of the Midwest.
Arapaho NWR is one of over 550 refuges
in the National Wildlife Refuge
System - a network of lands set aside
specifically for wildlife. Managed by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
the Refuge System is a living
heritage, preserving wildlife and
habitat for people today and for
generations to come.
The Refuge provides excellent habitat
for a variety of wildlife. The irrigated
meadows are ideal for nesting
waterfowl and other species of birds.
Riparian areas offer excellent habitat
for moose, elk, and neotropical birds.
Upland game birds, neotropical birds,
and pronghorn can be seen on the
sagebrush flats and knolls.
Waterfowl
Through the Year
The first waterfowl arrive at Arapaho
NWR when the ice vanishes from the
lakes and wetlands in late March to
mid-April. Peak waterfowl migration
occurs in late May when 5,000 or more
ducks can be present. Canada geese,
once scarce in the North Park area,
have been re-established here. They
begin nesting on the Refuge in April.
Duck nesting usually starts in late May
and peaks in mid-June. The Refuge
produces about 8,000 ducklings and
300-400 goslings each year.
Fall migration reaches its height
in late September or early October
when up to 8,000 waterfowl may be
on the Refuge.
Pronghorn / USFWS
Wildlife
Observation
Opportunities
A self-guided auto tour route on
the Refuge offers visitors great
opportunities to observe wildlife.
A corresponding auto tour route
leaflet provides wildlife, habitat, and
Refuge management information
related to stops along the route. More
information about Arapaho NWR and
recreational activities can be found at
the Refuge headquarters.
May through October are the best
months for observing birds on the
Refuge and in the surrounding North
Park area. Most mammals can be
observed year-round.
About this
Checklist
The following table lists 208 species
of birds, 37 mammals, and 16 other
vertebrates that have been observed
on the Refuge. Species of birds which
have been known to nest on the Refuge
are preceded by a bullet (●). Common
names for mammals, fish, reptiles,
and amphibians are followed by a
specific abundance code (see codes
below).
Seasons of
Occurrence:
Since most birds are migratory, their
seasonal occurrence and relative
abundance are coded as follows:
Sp
S
F
W
Spring (March-May)
Summer (June-August)
Fall (September-November)
Winter (December-February)
Seasonal
a abundant, occurring in large
Abundance: numbers
c common, certain to be seen in
suitable habitat
u uncommon, present but not
certain to be seen
o occasional, seen only a few times
during the season
r rare, seen at intervals of
2 to 5 years
x accidental, vagrant, or out of
normal range
Common Bird Name
Sp S
F
Ducks, Geese, and Swans
Snow Goose
● Canada Goose
c c
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Wood Duck r
● Gadwall
c a
● American Wigeon
c a
● Mallard
c a
● Blue-winged Teal
c c
● Cinnamon Teal
c c
● Northern Shoveler
c c
● Northern Pintail
c c
● Green-winged Teal
c c
● Canvasback
u u
● Redhead
c c
● Ring-necked Duck
u o
● Lesser Scaup
c a
Bufflehead
o r
Common Goldeneye
r r
● Common Merganser
o u
● Ruddy Duck
u c
o
c
r
r
r
a
a
a
c
c
c
c
c
u
c
u
a
o
r
u
c
Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys
● Greater Sage-Grouse
u
u
u
Grebes
● Pied-billed Grebe
● Eared Grebe
Western Grebe
Clark’s Grebe
u
u
o
r
u u
a c
o
r
Cormorants
Double-crested Cormorant
o
o
o
Pelicans
American White Pelican
u
c
u
Ruddy duck
USFWS
W
Swainson’s hawk
Paul Kerris / USFWS
u
Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets
American Bittern
r
● Great Blue Heron
u
Snowy Egret
r
Cattle Egret
o
Green Heron
● Black-crowned Night-Heron
u
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
r
o r
u u
o o
o o
r
c u
r
Ibises and Spoonbills
● White Ibis
u
u
u
New World Vultures
Turkey Vulture
r
u
u
Hawks, Kites, and Eagles
Osprey r
Bald Eagle
o o o
● Northern Harrier
u c c
Sharp-shinned Hawk
r o r
Cooper’s Hawk
o r
Northern Goshawk o
● Swainson’s Hawk
u c c
● Red-tailed Hawk
c o o
Ferruginous Hawk
r o o
Rough-legged Hawk
o o
Golden Eagle
c u c
Caracaras and Falcons
● American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
● Prairie Falcon
u
r
o
o
c
o
o
o
u
o
o
o
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
● Virginia Rail
● Sora
● American Coot
o
u
c
u
u
a
u
u
a
r
o
r
o
c
r
Common Bird Name
Sp S
F
Cranes
Sandhill Crane
o
o
Plovers
Black-bellied Plover
● Killdeer
r
c c c
Stilts and Avocets
● Black-necked Stilt
● American Avocet
r
u
r
c
W
r
c
Sandpipers and Phalaropes
● Spotted Sandpiper
u u u
Solitary Sandpiper o o
● Greater Yellowlegs
o r
● Willet
u c c
● Lesser Yellowlegs
u u
Upland Sandpiper r
Long-billed Curlew
r o
Marbled Godwit
o o o
Western Sandpiper u o
Least Sandpiper u o
Baird’s Sandpiper u o
Long-billed Dowitcher
u o u
● Wilson’s Snipe
c a c
● Wilson’s Phalarope
u a c
Red-necked Phalarope
o
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers, and Skuas
Bonaparte’s Gull
Franklin’s Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
● Black Tern
● Forster's Tern
r
r r r
r r r
c c c
r r r
u u u
Pigeons and Doves
Eurasian Collared-Dove (introduced)) r
● Mourning Dove
c
r
c
r
c
Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
r
r
r
Barn Owls
Barn Owl
r
Typical Owls
● Great Horned Owl
● Burrowing Owl
● Long-eared Owl
c
r
u
u
o
u
u
o
u
r
u
Common Bird Name
Sp S
F
● Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
o
r
u
r
u
r
Nighthawks and Nightjars
● Common Nighthawk
u
c
u
Hummingbirds
Calliope Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
o
Rufous Hummingbird
o
r
u o
c u
Kingfishers
● Belted Kingfisher
u
o
Woodpeckers
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker r
Red-naped Sapsucker r
Downy Woodpecker
o o
Hairy Woodpecker
o o
● Northern Flicker
o c
r
r
r
u
u
o
u
Tyrant Flycatchers
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Western Wood-Pewee
● Willow Flycatcher
u
Least Flycatcher
r
Hammond’s Flycatcher
r
Dusky Flycatcher
r
r
Cordilleran Flycatcher
o
Say’s Phoebe
Western Kingbird
u
Eastern Kingbird
r
r
u u
r
r
r r
r
o o
u u
o o
Shrikes
Loggerhead Shrike
o
o
u
Vireos
Warbling Vireo
r
r
r
W
u
u
r
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
Pinyon Jay
Steller’s Jay
r
Clark’s Nutcracker
● Black-billed Magpie
c
● American Crow
c
● Common Raven
c
r
r r
r
c c
c c
c c
c
c
u
Larks
● Horned Lark
c
c
c
c
r
Common Bird Name
Sp S
F
Swallows
● Tree Swallow
o
Violet-green Swallow
o
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
o
● Cliff Swallow
u
● Barn Swallow
o
c o
o c
o
u o
c u
u o
Titmice and Chickadees
● Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
u
o
u
o
o
o
Nuthatches
Red-breasted Nuthatch
o
o
Wrens
Rock Wren
r
● House Wren
u
Sedge Wren
● Marsh Wren
u
r r
u u
r
c u
Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
r
Dippers
American Dipper
o
o
o
Thrushes
Eastern Bluebird
r
● Western Bluebird
r
● Mountain Bluebird
c
Veery
r
Swainson’s Thrush
r
Hermit Thrush
● American Robin
c
r r
r r
c u
u r
r r
r
c u
Mimic Thrushes
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
● Sage Thrasher
Brown Thrasher
o
o
c
r
Common Yellowthroat
Paul Kerris / USFWS
u
o
r
r
u
r
Common Bird Name
Sp S
F
W
Starlings
● European Starling
o
o
o
r
Wagtails and Pipits
American Pipit
r
r
Waxwings
Bohemian Waxwing
Cedar Waxwing
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
Longspurs and Buntings
Lapland Longspur r
Chestnut-collared Longspur r
McCown’s Longspur
Snow Bunting
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Wood Warblers
Northern Waterthrush r
Orange-crowned Warbler
r r r
Nashville Warbler r
Virginia’s Warbler
r
MacGillivray’s Warbler o u
● Common Yellowthroat
o u o
American Redstart r
Magnolia Warbler
r
● Yellow Warbler
c a c
Chestnut-sided Warbler r
Yellow-rumped Warbler
r o o
Townsend’s Warbler
r r
Wilson’s Warbler
r o r
r
Kinglets
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
o
o
u
r
W
r
Sparrows and Towhees
Green-tailed Towhee
r u
Spotted Towhee
r
American Tree Sparrow u
Chipping Sparrow c u
● Brewer’s Sparrow
c c
● Vesper Sparrow
o c c
● Lark Sparrow
u u
● Sage Sparrow
o o o
● Lark Bunting
o o o
● Savannah Sparrow
u a u
● Fox Sparrow
o u o
● Song Sparrow
u c c
● Lincoln’s Sparrow
o u o
Harris’s Sparrow r
● White-crowned Sparrow
o c u
Dark-eyed Junco
c o o
o
r
o
o
r
o
Common Bird Name
Tanagers
Western Tanager
Sp S
r
F
W
r
Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
r
Black-headed Grosbeak
r r
Blue Grosbeak
r r
Lazuli Bunting o
Indigo Bunting r
Dickcissel
r
Blackbirds and Orioles
Bobolink r
● Red-winged Blackbird
c c c r
● Western Meadowlark
c c c
● Yellow-headed Blackbird
c c u
● Brewer’s Blackbird
u c u
● Common Grackle
o u o
● Brown-headed Cowbird
c c c u
Bullock’s Oriole r
Finches
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch
r
Black Rosy-Finch
r
Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
r
● House Finch
o
Pine Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
● American Goldfinch
u
Evening Grosbeak
r r c
r r c
r r c
o o
o u
r
u r r
o
Old World Sparrows
● House Sparrow (introduced)
o
o
Reference: American Ornithologists’ Union. 1998.
Check-list of North American Birds. 7th edition.
American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, DC
o
Common Mammal Name
Abundance
Shrews
Cinereus or Masked Shrew
u
Vesper Bats
Little Brown Myotis
Big Brown Bat
Townsend’s Big-eared Bat
o
o
o
Pikas, Hares, and Rabbits
Mountain Cottontail
White-tailed Jackrabbit
u
a
Squirrels
Least Chipmunk
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Wyoming Ground Squirrel
Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
White-tailed Prairie Dog
c
r
o
a
o
a
Beavers
American Beaver
u
Mice, Rats, and Voles
Deer Mouse
Northern Grasshopper Mouse
House Mouse
Montane Vole
Common Muskrat
a
u
u
c
c
Jumping Mice
Western Jumping Mouse
u
New World Porcupines
North American Porcupine
u
Prairie dog
Bob Savannah / USFWS
Common Mammal Name
Pronghorn
Pronghorn
Abundance
c
Reference: Baker, R., Bradley, L.C., Bradley, R.D.,
Dragoo, J.W., Engstrom, M.D., Hoffmann, R.S., Jones,
C.A., Reid, F., Rice, D.W., Jones, C. 2003. Revised
Checklist of North American Mammals North of Mexico,
2003. Occasional Papers, Museum of Texas Tech
University, 229:1-24.
Common Fish Name
Moose
USFWS
Common Mammal Name
Dogs, Foxes, and Wolves
Coyote
Red Fox
Abundance
c
o
Abundance
Carps and Minnows
Fathead Minnow
Longnose Dace
Creek Chub
c
c
c
Suckers
Longnose Sucker
White Sucker
c
c
Trout, Salmon, and Whitefish
Rainbow Trout
Brook Trout
Brown Trout
r
c
c
Bears
American Black Bear
r
Raccoons, Ringtails, and Coatis
Northern Raccoon
u
Sticklebacks
Brook Stickleback
o
Weasels, Otters, and Badgers
Ermine or Short-tailed Weasel
Long-tailed Weasel
American Mink
American Badger
Northern River Otter
u
u
u
u
o
Perches and Darters
Johnnydarter
r
Skunks
Striped Skunk
u
Cats
Mountain Lion or Puma
Bobcat
r
x
Deer
Wapiti or Elk
Mule or Black-tailed Deer
White-tailed Deer
Moose
u
u
u
c
Reference: Nelson, J. S., Crossman, E. J., Espinosa-Perez,
H., Findley, L. T., Gilbert, C. R., Lea, R. N., Williams, J.
2004. Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the
United States, Canada, and Mexico, 6th Edition.
American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29.
Bethesda, Maryland.
Rainbow trout
Bob Savannah / USFWS
Common Amphibian Name
Abundance
True Toads
Western Toad
r
Treefrogs
Boreal Chorus Frog
c
True Frogs
Northern Leopard Frog
Wood Frog
u
r
Mole Salamanders
Barred Tiger Salamander
u
Notes
Reference: U.S. Geological Survey’s Checklist of
Amphibian Species and Identification Guide,
<http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/herps/amphibid/
index.htm>
Common Reptile Name
Garter and Ribbon Snakes
Wandering Garter Snake
Abundance
r
Reference: The Center for North American Herpetology,
<http://www.cnah.org>
Accessibility Information
Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from
programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is available to all individuals regardless of
physical or mental ability. Dial 711 for a free connection
to the State relay service for TTY and voice calls
to and from the speech and hearing impaired. For
information or to address accessibility needs, please
contact the Refuge staff at 970 / 723 8202, or the U.S.
Department of the Interior, Office of Equal Opportunity,
1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.
Date
Time
Observers
Weather
Garter snake
Bob Hines / USFWS
Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge
953 Jackson County Road #32
Walden, CO 80480
970 / 723 8202
arapaho@fws.gov
http://www.fws.gov/arapaho
For State relay service
TTY / Voice: 711
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov
For Refuge Information
1 800 344 WILD
July 2012