U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Alamosa and

Monte Vista

National Wildlife

Refuges

Wildlife List
This goose

designed by J.N.

“Ding” Darling,

has become the

symbol of the

National Wildlife

Refuge System.

Alamosa and The San Luis Valley of south-central

Monte Vista Colorado is home to three National

National Wildlife Wildlife Refuges, Alamosa, Monte

Refuges Vista, and Baca. Over the course of a

year, these National Wildlife

Refuges provide crucial feeding,

resting, and breeding habitat for

over 200 bird species and a variety

of other wildlife.

Ninety-five percent of the Rocky

Mountain population of greater

sandhill cranes stop twice a year at

Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge

(NWR). In spring, sandhill cranes,

waterfowl, and other migrating birds

stop at Monte Vista NWR to refuel

on their journey to northern breeding

grounds. As they migrate to southern

wintering grounds in the fall, the

cranes stop again at the Refuge to

refuel. Refuge farm fields and

privately-owned croplands provide

essential feeding habitat in close

proximity to safe roosting areas

found on Monte Vista NWR.

Many waterfowl species stay on the

Refuge through the summer to

breed and rear young. Monte Vista

NWR is one of the most productive

duck breeding wetlands in North

America. Early summer also brings

nesting shorebirds and water birds

to all three Refuges. Throughout

the summer, the riparian corridor

along the Rio Grande at Alamosa

NWR offers habitat for many

species of songbirds, including the

rare southwestern willow flycatcher.

When winter hits the valley, some

waterfowl can be found, but raptors

dominate the Refuges’ landscape.

Short-eared owls winter and breed

on the refuges while bald eagles can

be seen fishing and roosting along

the Rio Grande at Alamosa NWR.
Elk, deer, coyotes, porcupines, and

beaver are some of the other wildlife

you may see while visiting the

refuges. Resident deer and elk are

found on the refuges year round,

while migrating herds are seen in

the fall and winter moving from

higher elevations to the valley floor.

Seasonal a abundant - numerous and easily

Abundance found in appropriate habitat

c common - should be found in

appropriate habitat with little

search effort

u uncommon - might see in

appropriate habitat

o occasional - seen only a few

times during the season

r rare - observed once or twice

every 2 - 5 years

Ac accidental - observed only a

few times in the history of

the Refuge

Sandhill crane

USFWS
Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Loons

Pacific Loon Ac

Common Loon Ac

Grebes

•Pied-billed Grebe c c c

•Eared Grebe u u u

•Western Grebe o o

Clark’s Grebe o o

Pelicans

American White Pelican o

Cormorants

Double-crested Cormorant r

Bitterns, Herons, and Egrets

•American Bittern u u u

Least Bittern Ac

Great Blue Heron u c u o

Great Egret o o

•Snowy Egret c a a

Little Blue Heron r

•Cattle Egret u u u

Green Heron r r

•Black-crowned Night-Heron c a c

Ibises and Spoonbills

•White-faced Ibis c a c

Swans, Geese, and Ducks

Greater White-fronted Goose r r

Snow Goose o o o

Ross’ Goose r r r

•Canada Goose aaaa

Tundra Swan r r

Wood Duck rrrr

•Gadwall aaao •American Wigeon c u u r

•Mallard a a a a

•Blue-winged Teal c c c

•Cinnamon Teal a a a r

•Northern Shoveler c c u r

•Northern Pintail a c c c

•Green-winged Teal a a c u

Canvasback u r r

•Redhead c c c

Ring-necked Duck u r r

Greater Scaup r r

Lesser Scaup c r r
Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Bufflehead u o r

Common Goldeneye o o r

Hooded Merganser Ac

Common Merganser c c o

Red-breasted Merganser Ac

•Ruddy Duck c c c

Osprey, Kites, Hawks, and Eagles

Osprey o r r

Bald Eagle u u c

•Northern Harrier cccc

Sharp-shinned Hawk o o o

Cooper’s Hawk o o o

Northern Goshawk Ac

•Swainson’s Hawk c c c o

•Red-tailed Hawk cccc

Ferruginous Hawk rrrr

Rough-legged Hawk o c c

Golden Eagle uuuu

Falcons and Caracaras

•American Kestrel c c c o

Merlin r r o o

Peregrine Falcon o o o r

Prairie Falcon uuuu

Gallinaceous Birds

•Ring-necked Pheasant cccc

Rails

•Virginia Rail u u u r

•Sora u u u

Purple Gallinule Ac

Common Moorhen Ac

•American Coot a a a

Cranes

Sandhill Crane a o a r

Whooping Crane u u

Plovers

Black-bellied Plover r r

Semipalmated Plover o

•Killdeer aaao

Mountain Plover r r

Stilts and Avocets

•Black-necked Stilt u u o

•American Avocet a a c
Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Sandpipers and Phalaropes

Greater Yellowlegs u u u

Lesser Yellowlegs u u u

Solitary Sandpiper r r r

Willet o o

•Spotted Sandpiper c c u

Whimbrel Ac

Long-billed Curlew o o o

Marbled Godwit u o

Sanderling o o

Western Sandpiper u u u

Least Sandpiper u u u

Baird’s Sandpiper u u u

Pectoral Sandpiper o o o

Stilt Sandpiper o o

Long-billed Dowitcher u o u

•Common Snipe c c c o

•Wilson’s Phalarope a a u

Skuas, Jaegers, Gulls, and Terns

Franklin’s Gull u o

Bonaparte’s Gull r r

Ring-billed Gull u r

Caspian Tern Ac

Common Tern Ac

Forster’s Tern o

Least Tern Ac

•Black Tern u u o

Pigeons and Doves

•Rock Dove cccc

Band-tailed Pigeon u u u

•Mourning Dove cccr

Barn Owls

Barn Owl r

Typical Owls

•Great Horned Owl cccc •Burrowing Owl o o o

Long-eared Owl r r

•Short-eared Owl u u u o

Nightjars

•Common Nighthawk o u u

Common Poorwill r

Swifts

White-throated Swift r
Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Hummingbirds

Black-chinned Hummingbird o r o

Broad-tailed Hummingbird u u u

Rufous Hummingbird u u

Kingfishers

•Belted Kingfisher u u u r

Woodpeckers

Lewis’ Woodpecker r

Red-headed Woodpecker Ac

Williamson’s Sapsucker r

Red-naped Sapsucker u o o

Downy Woodpecker uuuu

Hairy Woodpecker u u

•Northern Flicker c c c u

Tyrant Flycatchers

Olive-sided Flycatcher r

•Western Wood-Pewee u u

•Willow Flycatcher o o r

•Say’s Phoebe u u

Vermilion Flycatcher Ac

Cassin’s Kingbird r r

•Western Kingbird u u u

Eastern Kingbird o r

Shrikes

•Loggerhead Shrike u u o r

Northern Shrike o o

Vireos

Warbling Vireo o o

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

•Black-billed Magpie aaaa

American Crow u o u u

Common Raven cccc

Larks

•Horned Lark cccc

Swallows

Purple Martin Ac

•Tree Swallow c c u

Violet-green Swallow u o u

•Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u u

Bank Swallow u u u

•Cliff Swallow a c u

•Barn Swallow a a c
Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Titmice and Chickadees

Black-capped Chickadee uuuu

Mountain Chickadee o r o o

Nuthatches

White-breasted Nuthatch o r o

Wrens

Rock Wren r o

•House Wren u u u

•Marsh Wren a a c o

Kinglets

Ruby-crowned Kinglet o o

Thrushes

Western Bluebird o

Mountain Bluebird c r u

Swainson’s Thrush r

•American Robin c c c o

Mimic Thrushes

Northern Mockingbird u u u

•Sage Thrasher c c u r

Starlings

•European Starling aaaa

Wagtails and Pipits

American (Water) Pipit o o

Wood Warblers

Orange-crowned Warbler o

•Yellow Warbler c c u

Yellow-rumped Warbler c u c

Townsend’s Warbler r

Black-and-white Warbler Ac

Prothonotary Warbler Ac

Northern Waterthrush o

MacGillivray’s Warbler o r o

•Common Yellowthroat c c u

Hooded Warbler Ac

Wilson’s Warbler u u

Tanagers

Western Tanager o o
Common Bird Name Sp S F W

Sparrows and Towhees

Green-tailed Towhee u u

Spotted Towhee r r

Cassin’s Sparrow r

American Tree Sparrow o c c

Chipping Sparrow u u u

•Brewer’s Sparrow c c u

•Vesper Sparrow c c u r

Lark Sparrow o o o

Black-throated Sparrow r r

Sage Sparrow r r

Lark Bunting o

•Savannah Sparrow c c c

Grasshopper Sparrow r

•Song Sparrow cccc

Swamp Sparrow Ac

•White-crowned Sparrow c c c o

Dark-eyed Junco o c c

Lapland Longspur Ac

Cardinals, Grosbeaks, and Allies

Black-headed Grosbeak o o

Blue Grosbeak o o

Indigo Bunting Ac

Blackbirds and Orioles

Bobolink r r

•Red-winged Blackbird aaaa

•Western Meadowlark a a c u

•Yellow-headed Blackbird a a c r

•Brewer’s Blackbird c c c o

Great-tailed Grackle o o o

•Brown-headed Cowbird c c c

Bullock’s Oriole u u u

Finches

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch r

Cassin’s Finch oooo •House Finch cccc

Pine Siskin oooo

Lesser Goldfinch o o

•American Goldfinch u u u

Old World Sparrows

•House Sparrow a a c c
Mammals

Cinereus or Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus)

Dusky or Montane Shrew (Sorex monticolus)

Common Water Shrew (Sorex palustris)

Western Small-footed Myotis (Myotis ciliolabrum)

Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis)

Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus)

Yuma Myotis (Myotis yumanensis)

Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)

Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)

Big Brown Bat (Eptescius fuscus)

Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Plecotus townsendii)

Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii)

Mountain Cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii)

White-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)

Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus)

Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris)

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

(Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)

Gunnison’s Prairie-dog (Cynomys gunnisoni)

Botta’s Pocket Gopher (Thomomys bottae)

Northern Pocket Gopher (Thomomys talpoides)

Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens)

Silky Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavus)

Ord’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ordii)

American Beaver (Castor canadensis)

Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)

Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Northern Grasshopper Mouse (Onychomys leucogaster)

House Mouse (Mus musculus)

Long-tailed Vole (Microtus longicaudus)

Montane Vole (Microtus montanus)

Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus)

Western Jumping Mouse (Zapus princeps)

Common Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

Coyote (Canis latrans)

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Common Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Black Bear (Ursus americanus)

Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Ermine (Mustela erminea)

Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata)

American Mink (Mustela vison)

American Badger (Taxidea taxus)

Western Spotted Skunk (Spilogale gracilis)

Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)
Mammals (continued)

Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Wapiti or Elk (Cervus elaphus)

Mule or Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)

Amphibians

Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)

Plains Spadefoot (Scaphiopus bombifrons)

Western Frog (Bufo boreas)

Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus)

Woodhouse’s Toad (Bufo woodhousii)

Striped Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata)

Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Reptiles

Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentia)

Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma douglassii)

Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporous undulatus)

Many-lined Skink (Eumeces multivigratus)

Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)

Bullsnake (Pituophis melnoleucus)

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (Thamnophis elegans)

Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)

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 7-1-1 for a free connection to the

State transfer relay service for TTY and voice calls to

and from the speech and hearing impaired. For more

information or to address accessibility needs, please

contact the Refuge staff at 719 / 589 4021 or the U.S.

Department of the Interior, Office of Equal Opportunity,

1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240

Date

Total

Observers

Weather

Time
Alamosa and Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuges

9383 El Rancho Lane

Alamosa, CO 81101

719 / 589 4021

719 / 587 0595 fax

alamosa@fws.gov

http://alamosa.fws.gov

For State transfer relay service

TTY / Voice: 711

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://www.fws.gov

For Refuge Information

1 800 / 344 WILD

September 2003