Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

Birding 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Birdwatching (Sold Out)
2025-04-12 13:00 - 15:30 (America/Denver) | Sparks_Moose_LongsPeak
This class is sold out. Stay tuned for another opportunity in the fall!
Discover the fascinating world of birding! This beginner-friendly class will introduce you to the essential skills and tools needed to identify birds and appreciate their natural beauty.
The first half of the class will start with an engaging introduction to birding basics. Learn how to use key clues like body and bill shapes, posture, behaviors, habitat, field marks, and songs to identify birds. We’ll also explore tools such as field guides and birding apps for identification and reporting sightings.
Then we will head outside for a bird walk to take your new skills into the field! Enjoy a guided walk through the gardens and along the scenic Spring Creek Trail, practicing bird identification in a natural setting.
This class is perfect for anyone curious about birdwatching and looking to develop their skills in an encouraging and interactive environment.

Thirsty Bird - Science on Tap - 4/3/2025
2025-04-03 16:00 - 18:00 | Funkwerks Brewing, 1900 E. Lincoln Ave, Fort Collins, CO, 80524
Join us at our Thirsty Bird – Science on Tap programs this year! Guests will learn about what we do as an organization, our programs in local communities and get a glimpse into our research. We hope you’ll join us throughout 2025 to raise a glass to birds and learn more about Bird Conservancy of the Rockies!
Each Thirsty Bird starts at 4 p.m. From 4 – 5 p.m. you can mingle with Bird Conservancy staff and supporters, grab a drink and get a good seat! Starting promptly at 5 p.m. a staff member will begin a presentation focused on their work at Bird Conservancy as well as fun natural history facts about local birds. These presentations are engaging, thoughtful and you will walk away with new knowledge! Last year our Thirsty Bird events were very well attended. If you are hoping to get a seat at a table we recommend arriving at 4 p.m. Otherwise it may be standing room only.
Our April presenter is our Senior Research Scientist, Arvind Panjabi. Arvind will discuss Bird Conservancy’s research on migratory grassland birds, one of the fastest declining groups of birds in North America. This will include what we’ve learned about where they winter, the challenges they face, and what they need to survive. He will also share how that knowledge engages local communities and organizations in the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico to protect and improve habitat for grassland birds so that more of these international frequent flyers can return to the prairies each spring to grace our skies.
All Thirsty Bird events take place at Funkwerks Brewing in Fort Collins.

Family Nature Club - Tracks, Scats, & Signs, Oh My!
2025-03-29 10:00 - 11:30 | Scotts Bluff National Monument, 190276 Old Oregon Trail, Gering, NE, 69341
Nebraska’s wildlife is all around us, but sometimes it’s a mystery to find! During this months Family Nature Club, become Nature Detectives, uncovering hidden clues in the natural world. They’ll learn how to investigate animal Tracks, Scats, and Signs, Oh My!
Family Nature Club is intended for children and their grownups. Each family group will receive an Exploration Kit to use during the series to explore the natural world around them at home. Family Nature Club will be outside the entire time unless otherwise noted. Please dress comfortably for the weather and bring snacks/water as needed.
Click Here to Register!
Family Nature Club will be gathering at the Scotts Bluff National Monument, 190276 Old Oregon Trail, Gering, NE 69341 .
For more information contact Noelle Grunwald: noelle.grunwald@birdconservancy.org or call 308-633-1013.
Thanks to generous support from individual donations, our programs are offered at NO COST to you! Want to help keep our programs at no cost? Consider donating to Bird Conservancy’s – Nebraska Education Program HERE.
All are welcome. Our community of practice is to be an organization that empowers people of all backgrounds, beliefs, colors, and creeds to join in, benefit from, and contribute to our mission. We strive to ensure everyone feels safe and included at our programs and events, and can find a place for themselves in nature.

Mountain Plover Ecology and Conservation in North America
2025-03-24 19:00 - 20:00 | CO
What do you know about the Mountain Plover? A “shorebird” of sorts, that doesn’t use the shore…much. This plover, unlike many other plovers, uses habitats only found in the Great Plains and is often found on private lands in agricultural settings. Working with private landowners is key to securing the future of this once common shorebird. Join Angela Dwyer with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, to learn about the unique breeding ecology of this species and how they are working to conserve Mountain Plovers and their habitats in the Great Plains.
Click here to register for this Denver Field Ornithologist program!
Angela Dwyer is a Program Manager with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and has been with the organization since 2012. She has a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Management from Stephen F. Austin State University. After graduate school, she worked in bird conservation for the National Audubon Society in both North Carolina and Colorado. At Bird Conservancy, she works at the intersection of grassland bird conservation and collaboration with working private farms and ranches. She works on several collaborative conservation projects and is the International Mountain Plover Working Group Coordinator. She is passionate to share more about the natural connections between birds and livestock on our grassland ecosystems.

Great Backyard Bird Count at Scotts Bluff National Monument
2025-02-15 09:30 - 11:00 | CO
Attention all bird lovers & birders of all abilities! Fly on over to Scotts Bluff National Monument Visitor Center on Saturday, February 15th from 9:30-11:00 a.m. to learn about, observe, count, and celebrate our western Nebraska winter birds as part of the 28th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC).
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies staff will present on how to participate in this free and fun global event as well as provide tips, tricks, and resources for identifying local winter birds. After the talk, participants are welcome to stay for a short, easy birding walk to observe winter birds around the visitor center.
Binoculars will be available to borrow. Please join us for a morning of connecting with birds, nature, and each other. Everyone is welcome – even if you are new to birds and birding! Learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count HERE.

Great Backyard Bird Count
2025-02-15 08:00 - 12:00 | 20240625_IMBCRSurvey_BCR51
Come enjoy birds, explore our local ecosystems, and take part in this worldwide event! The Great Backyard Bird Count is a community science project, designed to engage any and all in bird watching and population monitoring. Learn how you can contribute to bird conservation from your own backyard! Families and children encouraged!
This event is hosted in tandem with Bluff Lake’s Family Nature Adventure Day.
We’ll run two, ~1.5 hour bird walks around the Bluff Lake area at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. and submit all data to the Great Backyard Bird Count. Binoculars will be provided!
Learn more about Bluff Lake’s Family Nature Adventure Day: https://www.blufflake.org/events/publicprograms.
Contact Payson Cronen-Smith for more information!
*This program is offered at no charge! So come on out for an amazing day learning about birds in our own backyards!

Why We "Band" Birds with Boulder Audubon
2025-01-28 19:15 - 20:45 | CO
Have you ever wondered why scientists band birds and how this fascinating practice helps us understand their incredible journeys? Join Boulder Audubon for “Why We ‘Band’ Birds” with our Bander & Volunteer Coordinator, Meredith McBurney. Meredith will present an engaging talk that will uncover the science and stories behind bird banding.
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Time: 7:15 PM – 8:45 PM
Location (Hybrid): Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder (5001 Pennsylvania Ave, Boulder, CO 80303) Or Online info at (https://www.boulderaudubon.org/all-events)
Learn how data collected at bird banding stations has unlocked critical insights into:

Migratory routes and timings
Species’ range limits
Lifespan and survival rates
How these characteristics are evolving over time

Whether you’re a seasoned birdwatcher, a curious nature enthusiast, or simply looking for inspiration, this event is perfect for you.
Spots are limited, so don’t miss your chance to connect with fellow bird lovers and expand your understanding of these incredible creatures!
