The 34.5 by 166 mile segment of the Great Plains known as the Panhandle of Oklahoma is today mostly under cultivation or rangelend. The elevation gradually decreases from 4,500 feet at the New Mexican border to about 2,500 feet in eastern Beaver County.
Rivers drain the area.
Ever increasing numbers of truly western bird species become apparent as one travels from Beaver County to the Black Mesa region in northwestern Cimarron County. Local nesting birds, mogrants, and Rocky Mountain forms that in winter seek shelter at lower elevations present an exciting year-round variety to the bird student. Besides the Black Mesa region, areas offering a high diversity of bird life include riparian woodlands along the Cimarron and Beaver River drainages, seasonal playas in the short-grass plains, the sand sagebrush country of Beaver and Texas Countaies, and Optima Reservoir with its surrounding environs. This list was prepared by John S. Shackford, Kurt Schaefer, and David Saunders. The draft list was reviewed by John G. Newell and Jack D. Tyler.