Skip to Main Content

Birding Colorado Springs: Wading Birds

Birds commonly seen in Colorado Springs and surrounding areas.

Wading Birds

Wading birds are birds that frequently walk in water, such as herons and cranes.

Sandhill Crane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sandhill_Crane_JCB.jpg
Author: Joseph C. Boone. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Info (All About Birds) Call (Macaulay Library) Video (YouTube)
  • Sizable bird whichs migrate across Colorado in large flocks
  • Omnivore diet; eats grains, seeds, berries, insects, snails, and more.
  • Like many other cranes, Sandhill Cranes perform mating dances

Great Blue Heron

https://www.flickr.com/photos/caveman_92223/4682000820/
Author: Chuck Coker. Creative Commons  Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds) [Usually silent] Video (YouTube)
  • Large bird that frequents both salt and freshwater bodies
  • Identified by size, blue-grey plumage, and snaky neck
  • Eats fish primarily, but preys opportunistically on other animals
  • Usually silent; harsh metallic voice only heard in distress or on nesting grounds.

Black-crowned Night Heron

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pazzani/6021109879/
Author: Mike's Birds. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Info (All About Birds) Call (Macaulay Library) Video (YouTube)
  • Chunky, short heron with black, gray, and white plumage, red eyes; call sounds crow-like
  • Active at night; best seen at dawn and dusk, or at roosting sites during the day
  • Omnivorous diet gathered from wetland habitat
  • Widespread throughout the world