National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Colorado

About this book

Colorado is a unique birding spot, with both its Rocky Mountain terrain and its flat highlands. Discover: the White Ptarmigan, a grouse-like bird in the high tundra, which molts an amazing 3 times to match its environment (most birds only molt once a year to replace worn feathers); the Golden Eagle soaring above the buttes in Pawnee National Grasslands; the American Dipper, known for its characteristic bobbing movement, along mid-elevation hiking trails; the Eared Grebe, with its spray of golden feathers or "ears" fanning out behind its eyes, swimming in a high-altitude lake; and the chestnut-coloured Longspurs displaying its courtship dance, or song flight, above rolling meadows.

This guide groups birds by family rather than alphabetically, as approved by the American Ornithological Association. A quick-reference alphabetical guide on the inside cover provides an easy way to find a name quickly.

Each entry has a vivid photograph showing the bird in its native habitat. On the facing page, a list of bulleted points confirms at a glance the bird's identity. These field ID clues note the bird's size, color, beak and wing shape, markings, song, flight pattern, habitat, and hotspots in which to find them. Special field facts highlighted at the bottom of each entry give additional information about what to look for in the bird's behavior, and detailed maps show the range of each bird's habitat.

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