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Birds of Great Sand Dunes National Park

The birds most often spotted in Great Sand Dunes, ranked by recent research-grade observations.

655
recent observations
50
species listed
50
birds

Naturalists have logged 655 research-grade observations across the 50 most-recorded species in Great Sand Dunes. The most frequently seen is the Green-tailed Towhee, with 48 recorded sightings.

Most-observed birds in Great Sand Dunes

Green-tailed Towhee
Pipilo chlorurus
48 observations
Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides
45 observations
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma woodhouseii
43 observations
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Selasphorus platycercus
32 observations
Clark's Nutcracker
Nucifraga columbiana
32 observations
Common Raven
Corvus corax
31 observations
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
27 observations
Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
25 observations
Pinyon Jay
Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
20 observations
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
19 observations
Vesper Sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus
19 observations
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
16 observations
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
16 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
14 observations
Rufous Hummingbird
Selasphorus rufus
14 observations
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
12 observations
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
12 observations
Wilson's Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
12 observations
American Avocet
Recurvirostra americana
11 observations
Townsend's Solitaire
Myadestes townsendi
11 observations
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
10 observations
Western Wood-Pewee
Contopus sordidulus
10 observations
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
10 observations
Western Warbling Vireo
Vireo swainsoni
10 observations
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
9 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
9 observations
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
9 observations
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
9 observations
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
9 observations
Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
7 observations
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
7 observations
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
7 observations
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
7 observations
Dusky Grouse
Dendragapus obscurus
6 observations
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
6 observations
Horned Lark
Eremophila alpestris
6 observations
Brewer's Sparrow
Spizella breweri
6 observations
Sage Thrasher
Oreoscoptes montanus
6 observations
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
5 observations
Black-headed Grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
5 observations
Plumbeous Vireo
Vireo plumbeus
5 observations
Red-naped Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus nuchalis
5 observations
Cooper's Hawk
Astur cooperii
5 observations · iNaturalist
Baird's Sandpiper
Calidris bairdii
4 observations
Western Sandpiper
Calidris mauri
4 observations
Long-billed Curlew
Numenius americanus
4 observations
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
4 observations
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
4 observations
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
4 observations
Townsend's Warbler
Setophaga townsendi
4 observations

Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.

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