11-day Colorado: a Chicken Odyssey

Guide: Adrian Binns

 

Prairie-chickens Photo: Adrian Binns

Many species of lekking "chickens" will be sought on this journey. The focus of this special spring trip to Colorado will be to witness 5 species of Grouse performing some of the most fascinating mating rituals in the bird world. We’ll visit the display grounds or “leks” of the Greater Prairie-Chicken, Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Sage Grouse, Gunnison Sage Grouse and Sharp-tailed Grouse and we’ll also search for Dusky Grouse, White-tailed Ptarmigan, Chukar, Bobwhite, and both Scaled and Gambel’s Quail, making this the ultimate chicken odyssey.

The staggering beauty of Colorado will be with us throughout this trip as we make our way through the Pawnee Grasslands where McCown’s and Chestnut-collared Longspurs and Mountain Plover will be in breeding plumage and Ferruginous Hawks and Golden Eagles soar; to Cottonwood Canyon where we have a chance to see south western species such as Roadrunner, Chihuahuan Raven, Canyon Towhee, Western Scrub Jay and Vermillion Flycatchers; to the western part of the state where we’ll be surrounded by the snow- capped peaks of the Rockies as we visit Georgetown for all three Rosy-finches, and the reservoirs for a wide assortment of waterfowl including Barrow’s Goldeneye and Eared Grebe.

Greater Sage Grouse Photo: Adrian & Jane Binns

White-tailed Ptarmigan Photo: Adrian & Jane Binns