Birding Around Las Vegas, Urban Las Vegas Valley
 Main gate and call box at the entrance. |
Description September 4, 2010: The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve remains closed due to delays in construction around the visitor center. It is expected to remain closed throughout September. Call (702) 267-4180 before visiting. The City of Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve (BVP) is becoming one of the best places in southern Nevada to watch birds. Desert species, waterbirds, wading birds, and shorebirds can be abundant here. |
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 Call box by the entrance gate. |
The BVP began as part of the city sewage treatment system, but with improvements in the treatment process, the BVP now uses reclaimed water and the odor is greatly reduced. Between the adjacent sewage treatment ponds and the BVP ponds, water in this otherwise parched land attracts birds of all kinds. Paved and dirt walkways run on dikes that divide the area into 13 brush-lined ponds that provide many vantage points for viewing birds. Check the ponds for waterbirds, check the shrubs (mostly saltbush) and cattails for passerines, watch the shrubs outside the fence for sparrows, quail, and thrashers, and keep an eye on the sky for falcons, hawks, swallow, and swifts. The mesquite thickets and river bottom beyond the northern fence are in the Clark County Wetlands Park Nature Preserve, another birding area. |
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A good short walk is down to the bench on Pond 2, then over to Pond 9, and back. Starting from the Visitor Center, walk out the paved trail staying to the left. Stay to the right at the first trail junction and walk out the dike between Ponds 1 and 2 to a bench looking north over Pond 2. Follow the trail around to the right and walk east, past Pond 5, to Pond 9. The trail between Ponds 6 and 9 provides good views in both directions. The east end of Pond 9 is growing in nicely with cattails and reeds, and the west end has islands that birds use for sleeping, all of which makes for a good place to see ducks and shorebirds. |
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A good longer walk is the entire perimeter, perhaps wandering through the middle of the Preserve on the way back. Starting from the Visitor Center, walk out the paved trail staying to the left. Strolling between the ponds and the perimeter fence provides opportunity to see desert species in the shrub thickets and flats outside the fence and waterbirds on the ponds. Pond 4, a deep pond in the northwest corner of the Preserve, always seems to have lots of ducks. Following the perimeter around to the east will eventually bring you to Pond 9, a shallow pond in the southeast corner of the Preserve with reeds and loafing islands. |
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Be sure to chat with the Visitor Center staff to see where the action is and if any unusual species have been seen. Also be sure to pick up (or at least take a look at) the Preserve map. Out in the Preserve, strategically placed benches provide places to sit quietly and watch the ducks, and trash cans and outhouses around the Preserve provide for other needs. Remember, this is a sewage treatment facility, so stay out of the water. | ||||||||||||
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NOTE: Because the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is part of an urban water treatment system, it is closed when the local National Terror Alert Status is orange or red. Consider calling 702-267-4180 to verify that the Preserve is open before you drive out. Location The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is located on the southeast edge of the Las Vegas Valley, about 15 minutes from downtown. It is located on water treatment land at 2400 B Moser Dr. Henderson, Nevada 89015. |
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From downtown, drive south on Highway 93 for 12 miles to Sunset Road. Exit the highway, turn left onto Sunset, and drive east for 1.8 miles (across Boulder Highway) to Moser Drive. Turn left onto Moser and drive north to a T-intersection. Turn right (east) at the T-intersection; drive east for about 50 yards, and turn left (north) to the wastewater treatment plant main gate (Table 1, Site 897). |
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For security reasons, the gate is always closed and locked, but birders can get into the Bird Viewing Preserve when it is open. Pull up to the sign and keypad (looks like a pay phone) on the left side of the road by the gate. The sign provides instructions for calling the Bird Preserve. When the Visitor Center staff answers, tell them your name and that you want to go birding, and they will open the gate. Inside the gate, drive straight ahead to the end of the road and the parking area adjacent to the Visitor Center (Site 450). All visitors must sign-in before entering the Bird Viewing Preserve. | ||||||||||||
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Hours
Fees Free admission, but all visitors must sign in at the Visitor Center and sign a liability waver. |
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Specialties During winter, this is a good place to see waterfowl and other waterbirds (e.g., grebes, wading birds, shorebirds, and gulls). During migration, a great variety of species may be found here, and the site is good for flycatchers (e.g., Kingbirds, Black Phoebe, and Say's Phoebe), swallows, swifts, and sparrows. This site also attracts desert species such as Gambel's Quail, Sage Sparrow, Crissal Thrasher, Verdin, and Black-chinned Hummingbird. |
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For More Information For more information, call the Preserve (702-267-4180) or visit the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve website (note: if this link doesn't work, goggle "Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve"). |
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If you are lucky enough to visit the HBVP when they are drawing down a pond, you might get treated to an astounding concentration of birds foraging in the shallow mud. Here we see Snowy Egret, Black-necked Stilt, Cinnamon Teal, and a Franklin's Gull just flew by. | ||||||||||||
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Another concentration of birds foraging in the shallow mud. | ||||||||||||
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Watch for Roadrunners on the roads! | ||||||||||||
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Be sure to watch for other wildlife, such as this beautiful gopher snake that was wandering across the trail! Also look for western whiptail lizards, coyotes, desert cottontail rabbits, pond turtles, and others. |
Table 1. GPS Coordinates for Highway Locations (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S).
| Site # | Location | Latitude (°N) | Longitude (°W) | UTM Easting | UTM Northing | Elevation (feet) | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 450 | Visitor Center | 36.07514 | 115.00147 | 679967 | 3993930 | 1,592 | Yes |
| 897 | Main Front Gate | 36.07228 | 115.00080 | 680034 | 3993614 | 1,599 | Yes |
Typical lists produced by HBVP personnel throughout the year:
| Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56 species Jan 10-16, 2005. | 89 species Apr 30-May 6, 2007. | 55 species May 30-Jun 5, 2005. | 77 species Sep 5-11, 2005. |
| Pied-billed Grebe Eared Grebe American White Pelican Great Egret Snowy Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron White-faced Ibis Snow Goose Wood Duck Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard Cinnamon Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Ruddy Duck Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Gambel's Quail Sora Common Moorhen American Coot Greater Yellowlegs Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Dunlin Long-billed Dowitcher Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon Morning Dove Greater Roadrunner Belted Kingfisher Black Phoebe Say's Phoebe Common Raven Northern Rough-winged Swallow Verdin Ruby-crowned Kinglet Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Crissal Thrasher American Pipit Orange-crowned Warbler Audubon Warbler Abert's Towhee Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle House Finch |
Pied-billed Grebe Eared Grebe Western Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron White-faced Ibis Turkey Vulture Canada Geese Gadwall American Wigeon Mallard (nesting) Blue-winged Teal Cinnamon Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Ruddy Duck Osprey Cooper's Hawk Peregrine Falcon Gambel's Quail Sora Common Moorhen (nesting) American Coot (nesting) Semipalmated Plover Killdeer (nesting) Black-necked Stilt (nesting) American Avocet (nesting) Greater Yellowlegs Spotted Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Ring-billed Gull Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Greater Roadrunner Black-chinned Hummingbird Western Wood Pewee Black Phoebe Say's Phoebe Cassin's Kingbird Gray Flycatcher Western Kingbird Tree Swallow Violet-green Swallow No. Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Verdin (nesting) Marsh Wren (nesting) Ruby-crowned Kinglet Black-tailed Gnatcatcher European Starling American Pipit Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Yellow Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Myrtle's Warbler Audubon's Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Townsend Warbler Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler Western Tanager Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Black-heard Grosbeak Blue Grosbeak Red-winged Blackbird Yellow-headed Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Bullock's Oriole Hooded Oriole House Sparrow (nesting) |
Pied-billed Grebe (nesting) Eared Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Least Bittern Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Cattle Egret Black-crowned Night Heron White-faced Ibis Turkey Vulture Gadwall Mallard (nesting) Cinnamon Teal (nesting) Northern Shoveler Redhead (nesting) Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Common Goldeneye Ruddy Duck (nesting) Osprey American Kestrel Gambel's Quail (nesting) Virginia Rail Sora (nesting) Common Moorhen (nesting) American Coot (nesting) Killdeer Black-necked Stilt (nesting) American Avocet (nesting) Spotted Sandpiper Forster's Tern Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Black-chinned Hummingbird Black Phoebe Say's Phoebe Western Kingbird No. Rough-winged Swallow Verdin Marsh Wren Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Northern Mockingbird Crissal Thrasher Orange-crowned Warbler Lucy's Warbler Common Yellowthroat Abert's Towhee (nesting) Black-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Yellow-headed Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Bullock's Oriole House Finch House Sparrow |
Pied-billed Grebe Eared Grebe (nesting) Western Grebe Clark's Grebe American White Pelican Double-crested Cormorant Least Bittern Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron White-faced Ibis Turkey Vulture Canada Goose Mallard Cinnamon Teal Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal Redhead Ring-necked Duck Ruddy Duck Osprey Cooper's Hawk American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Gambel's Quail Virginia Rail Sora Common Moorhen American Coot Killdeer Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Spotted Sandpiper Wimbrel Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Common Tern Caspian Tern Black Tern Rock Pigeon Mourning Dove Greater Roadrunner Common Nighthawk Black-chinned Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Black Phoebe Say's Phoebe Western Kingbird Loggerhead Shrike Tree Swallow No. Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Verdin Marsh Wren Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Crissal Thrasher Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow Warbler Audubon's Warbler Abert's Towhee Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Blue Grosbeak Red-winged Blackbird Yellow-headed Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird |
Thanks for coming to visit!
© Jim Boone; Last updated 100904
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