The Annual Ute Mountain Mesa Verde Birding Festival provides a popular venue for visiting southwestern Colorado during the second weekend in May. Nestled between alpine and mesa forests and scenic desert canyons, the Four Corner’s intriguingly diverse landscapes, and mild climate, have drawn people to the region for generations. Ancestral Pueblo farmers dwelled in places now known as Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, and Canyon of the Ancients. Today’s meadows, pastures, cultivated fields, historic orchards, stock ponds and reservoirs establish habitat for a wide-spectrum of migratory and resident birds. Some species, such as Lucy’s Warbler, are found no place else in Colorado.

Hosted by the Cortez Cultural Center, the UMMV Birding Festival draws upon the expertise of regional wildlife specialists who volunteer as tour guides and guest lecturers. Each year new tours, and repeat favorites, explore an array of birding hotspots that attract avian species from loons and grebes to sparrows, grosbeaks, and finches. Overnight tours within easy driving distance offer different environs and the prospect of encountering species not found within the Cortez area.

Southwest Colorado’s first birding records date to the 1880s. Tours that combine birding with regional archaeology, ecology, and history take UMMV birders into the realms of gulls, shorebirds, waterfowl, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Bald and Golden eagles, elusive owls, woodpeckers, flycatchers and phoebes, American Dipper, towhees, crossbills, and colorful bluebirds, tanagers, and warblers. The festival’s birding tally has climbed to 180 species.

The UMMV Birding Festival designs activities and tours to fit a gamut of abilities, ages, and interests. Early evening lectures, social hours, a bird-themed art show, and banquet add to the festival’s five days of enjoyment — learning, socializing, and most importantly birding.

Schedule of Events:

Tour 14
Ebirding On Global Big Day
Ryan Votta, Asst. Manager, Durango Fish Hatchery, Colorado Parks & Wildlife

5:30 Am – 3:00 Pm; $55
Are You Interested In Learning About Ebird? Would You Like To See Upwards Of 75 Species On A Single Tour? If Yes, Then Help Us Celebrate Ebird's Global Big Day And World Migratory Bird Day, By Signing Up For This New Tour. We Will Spend Our Day Exploring Several Of Montezuma County's Top Birding Hotspots. We Will Cover A Wide Variety Of Habitats In Search Of Specific Target Birds At Each Location. During The Day We Will Also Learn About Ebird And Its Functionality. This Tour Will Travel From Dry Pinyon-Juniper Terrain (Bewick's Wren, Juniper Titmouse, Ash-Throated Flycatcher), To Riparian Migrant Traps (Bullock's Oriole, Black-Headed Grosbeak, Migratory Warblers), Covering Local Lakes And Reservoirs (Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Grebes, Gulls), And All The Way Up To Almost 9,000 Feet Elevation (Broad-Tailed Hummingbird, Green-Tailed Towhee, Red-Naped Sapsucker). This Will Be A Moderate To Fast-Paced Tour That Covers Quite A Bit Of Ground. Our Goals For The Day Are To Learn About Ebird, Observe As Many Species As Possible, And Enjoy Our Time Out In Nature. Easy To Moderate With Some Hiking At Elevation. Lunch Provided. Approximately 75 Miles Round Trip.
Only 2 Spaces Remaining!
Returning
Tour 15
Yellow Jacket Cyn & Cannonball Mesa
John Bregar, Oil & Gas Geologist/Geophysicist, Retired; Amanda White, Biologist, Vice-President Durango Bird Club

5:45 Am – 3:00 Pm; $55
We Are Returning This Year To One Of Our Original And Most Requested Tours. A Hike Into Yellow Jacket Canyon, Where The First Breeding Pair Of Lucy's Warbler In The County Was Observed. As We Like To Joke, It Is "Not For The Faint Of Heart", Since It Requires A Hike In And Out Once Vehicles Reach The Most Rugged Part Of The Dirt Track. In Reality, The Hike In Is A Pleasant Mile And A Half, But Fair Warning, The Hike Out Can Be Hot And Buggy. Totally Worth It. This Riparian Corridor Is An Astonishing And Rich Juxtaposition Of Arid Canyon Walls, Big Cottonwoods And Box Elders. In Addition To Hopefully Seeing The Population Of Lucy's Warbler And Their Unique Nesting Holes, It Is Also Possible To See Summer And Western Tanager, Bullock's Oriole, Song Sparrow, Wilson's, Mcgillivray's And Yellow Warbler, Canyon And Rock Wren And Gambel's Quail. If Time Allows, A Side Trip Up Cannonball Mesa On The Way Out Can Be A Chance To See Wild Horses, Horned Lark, Black-Throated Sparrow And Raptors. Rated Moderate To Difficult With Three-Mile Hike; Warm Temps Likely (80s). High Clearance Vehicle Advised. Lunch Provided. Approximately 80 Miles Round Trip.
Western Tanager, Seen At The Birding Festival, Photo By Diane Cherbak
Photo Courtesy Of Diane Cherbak

Tour 16
Mesa Verde National Park
John Cahill, Education Park Ranger, Mesa Verde National Park

6:00 Am – 3:00 Pm; $55
Explore A Variety Of Birding Locales In This World-Famous National Park, Well Known For Archaeological Sites And Varied Pristine Habitats. Possible Sightings Include Accipiters, Peregrine Falcon, Downy Woodpecker, Virginia's & Black-Throated Gray Warblers, Juniper Titmouse, Ash-Throated & Dusky Flycatchers, Western Tanager, Western Wood-Pewee, Lazuli Bunting, Green-Tailed & Spotted Towhees, Rock & Bewick's Wrens, Clark's Nutcracker, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Swifts And Hummingbirds. Easy To Moderate. Lunch Provided. Approximately 75 Miles Round Trip.

Tour 17
Montezuma Land Conservancy

Birding Echo Basin
Steve And Emilee Tarnowski, Montezuma County Birders

6:15 Am – 3:00 Pm; $55
Bird Scenic Echo Basin And Up To Higher Altitudes. With A Broad Habitat Diversity Of Gently Rolling Hills, Meadows, Ponderosa Pine Forest, Spruce/Fir Forest, Riparian Areas And A Significant Pond, Sightings Might Include Waterfowl, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Red-Naped Sapsucker, Lewis's Woodpecker, Purple Martin, Olive-Sided Flycatcher, Warblers, Vireos, Bluebirds, Jays, Nuthatches And Swallows. Bird On Private Historic Reddert Ranch & R121 Ranch Properties. Weather Permitting, Explore The Jersey Jim Fire Lookout And Transfer Park. Easy To Moderate With Some Hiking. Lunch Provided. Approximately 50 Miles Round Trip.
Birders At The Birding Festival, Photo By Diane Cherbak
Photo Courtesy Of Diane Cherbak

Tour 18
Ute Mountain Tribal Park
Don Marsh, Senior Systems Analyst, Retired And Ebird Reviewer

6:30 Am – 3:00 Pm; $80
Combine Birding With Experiencing Mancos Canyon's Archaeological Sites. Saltbush And Sage Bottomlands Invite Sage Thrasher, Burrowing Owl, Scaled & Gambel's Quails And Lark, Sage & Black-Throated Sparrows. Willows And Cottonwoods Along The Streambed Attract Yellow-Breasted Chat, Tanagers, Warblers, Indigo & Lazuli Buntings And Blue Grosbeaks. Glyph-Inscribed Cliffs Provide Habitat For Raptors, Swifts, Wrens And Owls. Bridges May Harbor Nesting Black Phoebes. Vireos And Flycatchers Also Frequent The Pinyon-Juniper Uplands. Easy. Lunch While Overlooking Ancient Cliff Dwellings. Tour Fee Includes Park Entrance And A Tip For The Ute Tribal Guide. Approximately 50 Miles Round Trip.
Having Lunch At The Birding Festival
Photo Courtesy Of Diane Cherbak

Tour 19
Carpenter & Geer Natural Areas ½ Day
Eric Moore, Owner, The Lookout, Prescott, Az

6:45 Am – 11:30 Am; $30
Located At The North Edge Of Cortez, Geer Park's Year-Round Pond Attracts A Multitude Of Waterfowl, Wading Birds And Swallows. Scrub-Jay, Northern Flicker, Sparrows, Hummingbirds, Warblers And Finches Favor An Adjacent Arroyo. The Tour Will Be Expanded To Include Carpenter Natural Area Featuring A Paved Trail And A Network Of Primitive Trails Along A Creek With Rocky Mesas. Sagebrush Fields With Scattered Junipers And Other Desert Grasses And Shrubs Provide For An Array Of Species Possibilities. Easy With Up To A Two-Mile Walk. Approximately 4 Miles Round Trip.

Tour 20
Birding 101 ½ Day
Erik Hendrickson, Engineer, National Park Service, Retired

7:00 Am – 11:00 Am; $30
This Tour Is Designed To Emphasize "The Basics" Of Birding: Getting Out Early In The Morning, Staying Close To Home, Having Fun, And Learning About Birds And The Habitats Where They Are Found. Just The Basics, In A Fun, Learning Environment Where Everyone Contributes To Observations. Basically, Duplicating Birding Trips That Local Montezuma County Birders Do Throughout The Year – Recognizing Common Bird Species And Migrants, Pointing Out Key Field Marks, Especially On Distant Birds And Especially On Birds Not Seen Very Often. The Festival Is Timed To Increase Chances Of Seeing Migrating Waterfowl And Songbirds, To See Newly Arrived Raptors, Flycatchers And Swallows, And To See Local Year-Round Sagebrush And Pj Inhabitants At Denny Lake And Totten Reservoir Swa. Swa Pass Included. Easy. No Registration Fee Required. Limit 8. Approimately 5 Miles Round Trip.
Thomas Preserve, Photo By Carla Fox
Photo Courtesy Of Carla Fox

Tour 21
Birding 201 ½ Day
Erik Hendrickson, Engineer, National Park Service, Retired

12:00 Pm – 4:00 Pm; $30
An Afternoon Continuation Of Birding 101. This Tour Is Not More Advanced, But Ventures A Little Further From Cortez, Making Stops At Narraguinnep Swa, Mcphee Recreation Area (San Juan Nf), And Summit Reservoir Swa (Montezuma County's "Iconic Reservoirs"). As Birding Is Often Slower In The Afternoon, Focus Will Be On Identification Of Each Bird Encountered, Asking Questions And Discussing Markings Observed To Aid In Identification. The Tour Will Be Paced According To Bird Activity, Adjusting Time At Each Location Depending On The Birds Identified. The Afternoon Will Be Spent Scanning For Waterfowl And Shorebirds At The Reservoirs, Using Spotting Scopes As Necessary, And Walking Short Trails Looking For Forest Species And Migrating Songbirds. Swa Pass Included. Easy. No Registration Fee Required. Limit 8. Approximately 60 Miles Round Trip.
 
Scott Harris, Ummv Birding Festival 2025 Keynote Speaker
Scott Harris, Ummv 2025 Keynote Speaker
Dinner, Silent Auction, Keynote Speaker — Cortez Conference Center

5:30 Pm – Social Hour And Silent Auction Opens
6:15 Pm – Dinner
7:15 Pm – Silent Auction Closes
7:30 Pm – Keynote Speaker: Scott Harris, "Raptorquest: Chasing America's Raptors"
Hear About Scott's Year-Long Adventure Tracking Down Every Species Of Raptor In The Lower 48 States. He Spent 17 Months Chasing 53 Raptors Across 34 States—His Version Of A Raptor Big Year. Raptorquest Is About His Adventures, Misadventures, Successes And Failures. From -36 Degree Days, To Ones Over 100 Degrees, To Getting On The Bird Just In Time, To The Frustrations Of Missing One By Minutes. It's About The Birds—Of Course—But It's Also About The People He Met, The Things He Learned And Why He's Already Working On His Next Adventure.

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