Habitats

Mountains cover only 1/3 of Colorado. The eastern plains occupy 40 percent of the land mass. The western part of the state is made up of vallys, mesas, basins and ridges. The central "spine" of Colorado is made of the Rocky Mountains.

Many of our birding locations will include multiple habitats. For instance Loveland Pass (or Guanella Pass) have Alpine Tundra habitat at the top but we will be driving though several other habitats on the ride up. In a similar way lakes and reservoirs will have various other habitats in the surrounding area.

The following are the major habitats in the Colorado

Plains

• Short-grass Prairie
• Prairie Woodlands and Wetlands
• Lakes and Reservoirs

Mountain and Plateau Country

• Pinyon/Juniper (4,500 to 8,000 feet)
• Pondersosa Pine (6,500 to 8,500 feet; 10,000 feet in South Park)
• Aspen (7,500 to 10,000 feet)
• Lodgepole Pine (8,000 to 10,500 feet)
• Spruce/Fir (10,000 to 11, 500 feet)
• Alpine Tundra (11,500 to 13,000 feet)
• Foothills Riparian, Willow Carrs, and Montane Meadows (6,500 t0 12,000 feet)
• Shrublands (5,000 to 9,000 feet)

Canyon and Mesa Country

• Semi-desert Shrubland