Two Ponds

National Wildlife 

Refuge

Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge

9210 W. 80th Ave

Arvada, CO 80005

303 / 289 0867

twoponds@fws.gov

http://www.fws.gov/refuge/two_ponds

For State Relay Service

TTY / Voice: 711

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

http://www.fws.gov

For Refuge Information

1 800 / 344 WILD

June 2018

Bird List

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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 711 for a free connection to the State 

relay service for TTY and voice calls to and from people 

with hearing and speech disabilities. For more information 

or to address accessibility needs, please contact the 

Refuge staff at 303 / 289 0867 or the U.S. Department of 

the Interior, Office of Equal Opportunity, 1849 C Street, 

NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. 
The following is a list of resident 

or migrant birds found in local 

habitats similar to those on the 

Refuge. Their presence on the 

Refuge has not been confirmed. 

This list was contributed to by the 

Denver Museum of Natural History, 

the Colorado Division of Wildlife, 

Seth Beres, and David Rhoades.

■ Horned Grebe

■ Eared Grebe

■ White-faced 

Ibis

■ Cinnamon Teal

■ Northern 

Pintail

■ Bufflehead

■ Common 

Goldeneye

■ Ruddy Duck 

■ Ferruginous 

Hawk

■ Merlin 

■ Lesser 

Yellowlegs

■ Willet 

■ Spotted 

Sandpiper

■ Wilson’s 

Phalarope

■ Herring Gull 

■ Forster’s Tern

■ Eastern 

Screech Owl

■ Hairy 

Woodpecker

■ Warbling Vireo

■ Western 

Scrub-Jay

■ Tree Swallow

■ Bank Swallow

■ Mountain 

Chickadee

■ Brown Creeper

■ Marsh Wren

■ Mountain 

Bluebird

■ Hermit Thrush

Presence 

Not Confirmed

Since many birds are migratory, their 

seasonal occurrence and relative 

abundance are noted as follows: 

SP Spring (March – May)

S Summer (June – August)

F Fall (September – November)

W Winter (December – February)

c common – certain to be seen 

in suitable habitat

u uncommon – present, but not 

certain to be seen

r rare – seen at intervals

of 2 – 5 years ● breeds on Refuge

+ non-native species

Two Ponds National Wildlife 

Refuge (NWR) is located in Arvada, 

Colorado near the intersection 

of Kipling Street and West 80th 

Avenue. The Refuge is the smallest 

urban unit in the National Wildlife 

Refuge System. It is managed by the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the 

enhance wildlife habitat and serve 

as an urban classroom to promote 

appreciation and foster stewardship 

of natural places. 

The Refuge covers 72.2 acres with 

63.2 acres of uplands, 9 acres of 

wetlands, and 3 small ponds. The 

mix of the habitats support various 

types of plant communities that 

support migrant and resident 

birds. By taking a short walk on the 

trails, you may encounter sparrows, 

hawks, woodpeckers, red-winged 

blackbirds, magpies, warblers, 

waterfowl, and herons. 

Two Ponds NWR is split into two 

areas, East and West. The east side 

is the Environmental Education 

area and is open to the public on 

Tuesdays through Saturdays from 

May through September, and 

throughout the year to groups 

of 10 or more on a reservation 

basis. The west side is the Prairie 

Management Area where trails are 

open seven days a week from dawn 

until dusk throughout the year. 

This list follows the organization 

of the American Ornithologists’ 

Union’s Seventh Edition Checklist, 

including changes through the 

55th Supplement. The information 

in this checklist is based on survey 

data collected between 1995 and 

2013. Only species seen on the 

Refuge during the survey periods 

are quantified. 

An Oasis in the 

City for People 

and Wildlife 

About the List

Seasons 

Seasonal 

Abundance

This goose, 

designed by J.N. 

“Ding” Darling, 

is the symbol 

of the National 

Wildlife Refuge 

System.
Ducks and Geese

 Canada Goose cccc

 Gadwalluuu

 American Wigeonu cu

 Mallardcccc

 Blue-winged Tealu

 Northern Shoveler rr

 Green-winged Teal u 

 Redheadc rr

 Ring-necked Ducku u

 Lesser Scaupr 

 Hooded Merganserr 

Grouse and Turkeys

 Ring-necked Pheasant r

 Turkey Vultureu u

Grebes 

 Pied-billed Grebeu u

Cormorants 

 Double-crested Cormorantccc

Pelicans 

 American White Pelicanuu 

Bitterns, Herons and Egrets 

 American Bitternr 

 Great Blue Heroncccr

 Great Egret r 

 Cattle Egret rr

 Green Heronrr 

 Black-crowned Night-Heronccc

New World Vultures 

 Turkey Vultureu u

Osprey 

 Ospreyr 

Hawks and Eagles 

 Bald Eagler rr

 Northern Harrier u 

 Sharp-shinned Hawkr ur

 Cooper’s Hawkrrr

 Broad-winged Hawkr 

 Swainson’s Hawkccr

 Red-tailed Hawkcccc

 Rough-legged Hawku u

 Golden Eagle r

Gallinules and Coots 

 Sorar 

 American Cootr 

Cranes 

 Sandhill Craner 

Plovers 

 Killdeercur

Sandpipers and Phalaropes 

 Solitary Sandpiper r

 Wilson’s Snipe u

Gulls 

 Franklin’s Gullrrr

 Ring-billed Gullcccc

 California Gull rr

Pigeons and Doves 

 Rock Pigeon (introduced)cccc

 Eurasian Collared-Dove (introduced)u 

 Mourning Dovecccr

Owls 

 Great Horned Owlr rr

Nightjars 

 Common Nighthawk c 

Swifts 

 Chimney Swiftr r

Hummingbirds 

 Broad-tailed Hummingbirdr 

Kingfishers 

 Belted Kingfishercccc

Woodpeckers 

 Downy Woodpeckercccc

 Northern Flickercccc

Falcons 

 American Kestrelcccc

 Peregrine Falcon r

 Prairie Falconuru

Flycatchers 

 Olive-sided Flycatcher r 

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW
Western Wood-Pewee

rur

 Say’s Phoebe r

 Western Kingbird ur

 Eastern Kingbird u 

Shrikes 

 Loggerhead Shrike rr

 Northern Shrike u

Vireos 

 Plumbeous Vireo r

 Cassin’s Vireo r

 Red-eyed Vireor r

Jays, Magpies and Crows 

 Blue Jaycccc

 Black-billed Magpiecccc

 American Crowcccc

Swallows 

 Violet-green Swallowur 

 Northern Rough-winged Swallowcc 

 Cliff Swallowccr

 Barn Swallowccu

Chickadees and Nuthatches 

 Black-capped Chickadeecccc

 Red-breasted Nuthatch r

 White-breasted Nuthatch r

Wrens 

 Rock Wren r

 House Wrenccr

Gnatcatchers 

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcherr 

Kinglets 

 Ruby-crowned Kingletu uu

Thrushes 

 Townsend’s Solitairer rr

 Swainson’s Thrushr 

 American Robincccc

Starlings 

European Starlingcccc

Pipits 

 American Pipit r 

Waxwings 

 Bohemian Waxwingr 

Cedar Waxwingr

Wood Warblers 

 Northern Waterthrushr 

 Orange-crowned Warbleru u

MacGillivray’s Warblerr 

 Common Yellowthroatuur

 American Redstartr 

 Yellow Warbleruuu

 Yellow-rumped Warbleru u

Townsend’s Warbler r

 Wilson’s Warbleru u

Sparrows and Towhees 

 Green-tailed Towhee r

 Spotted Towheeu u

 American Tree Sparrowr u

 Chipping Sparrowuur

 Clay-colored Sparrowr r

 Brewer’s Sparrowrrr

 Vesper Sparrowur

 Lark Sparrowur

 Lark Buntingr

 Savannah Sparrowr 

Song Sparrowcccc

 Lincoln’s Sparrow r

 White-crowned Sparrowu cc

Dark-eyed Juncou cc

Tanagers 

 Western Tanageruur

Lazuli Buntingr 

Blackbirds and Orioles 

 Red-winged Blackbirdcccc

 Western Meadowlarkccu

 Yellow-headed Blackbirdr 

Brewer’s Blackbirdr

Common Grackleccc

 Great-tailed Grackler 

Brown-headed Cowbirdcc 

Bullock’s Orioleccr

Finches 

 House Finchcccc

 American Goldfinchcccu

Old World Sparrows 

 House Sparrowcccc

Common Bird Name SpSFW Common Bird Name SpSFW