Locations

Mr. Song
Song Sparrow by Pete Arnold

Where can I bird in the Cheyenne area?   What about in other parts of Wyoming?

For starters, we recommend you check out the area’s “Important Bird Areas” (IBA’s) described below.

  • Lions Park, including Sloans Lake and Kiwanis Lake.  This is a park in the City of Cheyenne Parks System.  The entrance is near Eighth Avenue and Carey Avenue, close to the airport.
  • Wyoming Hereford Ranch, to the southeast of Cheyenne.  It is adjacent to and south of I-80, at the Campstool Road exit.  (This is private property, so be sure to stay on roads and respect the property rights of the owners.)
  • Holliday Park in Cheyenne is popular with waterfowl, wild and domestic, all year round.  It also features nesting Black-crowned Night-Herons in the Spring.  The entrance is 19th Street at Morrie Avenue.
  • Curt Gowdy State Park offers opportunities for birders throughout the year.  Approximately 20 miles west of Cheyenne on Happy Jack Road, three reservoirs are located within the park (Granite, Crystal, and North Crow) hosting an abundance of waterfowl throughout the spring, summer, and fall.  Bald Eagles are often seen in this birding “hotspot”.  Fee required. 
  • Pine Bluffs Nature Trail is a hidden gem in southeastern Laramie County and a birding “hotspot” for the county.  You can park at the rest area and enjoy a short walk or a more strenuous hike through the bluffs area.  In spring and fall you will enjoy many birds, but watch for rattlesnakes!  After your hike, you can enjoy a picnic lunch at the shaded picnic areas.  Be sure to bring water during the summer!

Other Birding Locations – Goshen and Platte County

  • Guernsey State Park.  A personal favorite, this wonderful resource will provide hours of birding and family fun.  Drive along the Guernsey Reservoir viewing rugged and scenic landscapes.  Hike numerous trails and enjoy a picnic by the water. Birds of all kinds can be observed from waterfowl to songbirds.  Fee required. 
  • Springer/Bump Sullivan Wildlife Habitat Management Area.  Located south of Torrington (WY), this public access area under Wyoming Game & Fish includes a number of ponds where migrating waterfowl can be observed.  Trails are suitable for hiking (easy).  This is a great place to enjoy the song of the Meadowlark and Yellow-headed Blackbirds in Spring/Summer.  You may also see Ring-necked Pheasant, Horned Lark, Wilson’s Phalarope, and American Avocet.  No fee required. 
  • Table Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management Area. Slightly east of Springer/Bump Sullivan, Table Mountain WHMA provides birders with another hot-spot for observing birds year-round.  This area has easy hiking as well as some opportunities for observation from a car. No fee required. 

Check out Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird for other places to bird in Platte and Goshen Counties.  Many other hot-spots exist in this beautiful area of our state.

Birding Resourcescropped-snow-geese-flying-and-sitting.jpg

BirdCast (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology).  Watch for migration patterns with this live migration map.

The Checklist of the Birds of Cheyenne is also available here:  Birds of Cheyenne WY and Vicinity Checklist

For more about the national Audubon Christmas Bird Count: http://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count