Cherry Creek State Park
Colorado · Rocky Mountains
Easy
June-October
$10 per vehicle
Open daily, 5 AM - 10 PM
About This Location
Cherry Creek State Park is a productive birding destination in Colorado, with 337 species recorded on eBird. This river/riparian habitat attracts Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, and Green-winged Teal among many others. Elevation changes create diverse habitats, from riparian valleys to alpine meadows, supporting a wide range of species.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Northern Harrier
Circus hudsonius
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Sage Thrasher
Oreoscoptes montanus
White-rumped Sandpiper
Calidris fuscicollis
Northern Parula
Setophaga americana
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Eastern Warbling Vireo
Vireo gilvus
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Cliff Swallow (pyrrhonota Group)
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Red-winged Blackbird (Red-winged)
Agelaius phoeniceus
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Canada Goose
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Mallard
American Avocet
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
American White Pelican
Turkey Vulture
Downy Woodpecker
Western Wood-Pewee
Eastern Kingbird
Black-capped Chickadee
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Birding Tips
- 1
Walk along the water slowly, scanning overhanging branches for kingfishers and warblers.
- 2
Check sandbars and gravel bars for shorebirds and terns.
- 3
Acclimate to altitude before hiking to high-elevation birding spots.
- 4
Purchase your day pass online in advance to avoid wait times at the entrance station.
- 5
Bring quality optics — a good pair of binoculars (8x42 or 10x42) makes all the difference in species identification.
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Cherry Creek Reservoir
- Denver Botanic Gardens
- Chatfield State Park
More in Colorado
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Colorado alpine park with accessible tundra birding and elevation-diverse habitats.
Pawnee National Grassland
Colorado shortgrass prairie with grassland specialists and nesting raptors at Pawnee Buttes.
Adobe Creek Reservoir (Blue Lake) - Bent Co
Lake birding hotspot in Colorado with 227 recorded species.
Colorado Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in Colorado →