We invite qualified observers to participate in the Breeding Bird
Survey. Participants must have the skills to identify the likely species on
their routes by sight and by sound.
Since 1966 (1968 in Colorado and the West) the Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center, originally US Fish & Wildlife Service, and now the Biological
Research Division of the US Geological Survey, has sponsored the Breeding Bird
Survey program to monitor birds across the US (and Canada, with the Canadian
Wildlife Service). In 2002, volunteers ran almost 3000 routes in the US &
Canada. They call the project the "Breeding Bird Survey" - hence "BBS."
Scientists use results from the BBS to derive population trends for the species
that the system samples well.
Colorado has 132 designated BBS routes, and we consistently run
more routes than all other states in the U.S. except Texas and California. In
2009 we ran one or two more than 100 of the 132 routes. (A handful of observers
still haven't posted the data.) Right now we have twelve routes without
assigned observers for 2010.
A BBS route covers 24.5 miles. Observers record all the birds they
hear and see during a 3-minute stop, then drive a half-mile to the next stop.
You run the route, once only, during the peak of the songbird singing season,
from May 25 on the plains to July 15 in the high country. The ability to
identify species by sound is crucial--I estimate that I record 75-85% of the
birds on my routes by sound, not sight.
We seek a commitment of three years, because the BBS doesn't use
route data unless the same person runs it for at least 3 years. The observer
should have the ability to identify, by sound and sight, most of the species
likely to occur along that route.
Let me know if you would like one or more. The following list is
organized geographically (sort of).
Key to route descriptions:
Number and name County Page in DeLorme Atlas
Roads that the route follows.
Central Mountains
17317 Marshall Pass Chaffee & Saguache p 68 & 69
Starts at Mears Junction; up FR 200, over Marshall Pass and down towards
Sargents to end.
17126 Cone Mtn. Las Animas p 100
Starts about 25 miles NE of Walsenburg, where CR 86 turns south into CR 91.9; S
on CR 91.9 and CR 74.2 and 101.5; W on CR 64, N on CR93.9 to end.
17326 Walsenburg Huerfano p 83 & 93
Starts at S edge of Walsenburg; S on CR 330; Easterly on CR 310 to Lester; SWly
on CR 312 and 313 to end.
Southwest
17053 Lake City Hinsdale p 77
Starts on Colo. 149 a mile below summit of Slumgullion Pass; continues to Rd
30, then up Lake Fork of the Gunnison (CR 30 & FR 4) to Cinnamon Pass. High
clearance 4-wheel drive is mandatory and the route must be done at the end of
the season to allow for sufficient snow melt. Nerves of steel recommended.
17124 Blackhead Peak Archuleta p 88
Starts about 20 miles east of Pagosa Springs: on FR 665, go westerly to US 84;
S on 84, but no stops on 84, to CR 326; Left (east) and resume route on CRR326,
to end.
Northwest
17001 Maybell Moffat p 14 and 24
Starts 15 miles N of Maybell near Little Snake WMA; south on CR 19
throughMaybell and then south on CR 57 and 32 to end.
17002 Great Divide Moffat pp 14 & 15
Starts about 20 miles N of Craig; south on CR 3 about 15 miles, then NWly on CR
5 to end.
17358 Piceance Basin Rio Blanco p 33
Starts on CR 5 25 miles NW of Rifle; NWly along Piceance Creek to CR24, then
westerly along CR 24 to CR 80. Then SWly on CR 80 to end.
Plains
17007 Fleming Phillips p 95
Starts 8 miles SW of Fleming; easterly on a series of county roads through
Haxtun to end, 5 ½ miles east of Haxtun.
17214 Kirk Kit Carson p 97
Starts 5 miles S of Kirk; westerly on CR MM to end.
17314 Burlington Kit Carson p 102
Starts 8 miles east and 14 miles north of Burlington; south on CR 57 and 56,
crossing US 24 a mile east of Peconic, and south 10 miles to end.
Other
17904 Trail Ridge Larimer
'Designer route' that Bruce Baker has covered by bicycle since he started the
route a number of years ago. I don't know the details of the route.
Hugh Kingery
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