Birding Sunset Park
Birding Around Las Vegas,
Urban Las Vegas Valley
Although birding at Sunset Park can be good, it is an urban experience
complete with commercial aircraft zooming by every few minutes (view north).
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Description
Sunset Park is a large, noisy, traditional urban park in the
heart of the city. The developed portion of the park has ball fields,
play grounds, a fishing pond, lawns, big old trees, and lots of other
vegetation. In addition, the undeveloped southern part of the park
protects remnants of the mesquite-dune system that once covered much of
the Las Vegas Valley. This area preserves some nice mesquite and
saltbush thickets and other native vegetation.
Despite the urban feeling, Sunset Park has a nice mix of
habitats (water, trees, thickets, and dunes) that create a diverse
urban oasis, which attracts birds and people from all around. |
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Location
Sunset Park is located in the south-central part of Las Vegas
at the intersection of E. Sunset Road and S. Eastern Avenue, just off
the southeastern corner of the airport runway.
From downtown, drive south on Highway I-15 to Highway I-215
East (follow signs to the airport). Follow Highway I-215 east to the
airport turnoff, turn towards the airport, and just before going into
the airport tunnel (under the runway), exit the highway onto Sunset
Road. Drive east on Sunset for about 1 mile to Eastern Avenue. The park
is across the intersection. Turn right onto Eastern and then turn left
at either of the roads into the park.
Alternatively, drive south on Highway 93 to Sunset Road. Exit
the highway, turn right onto Sunset, and drive west to Eastern Avenue.
The park is on your left.
Parking lots are located on the north, west, and south sides
of the park. Birders probably would prefer to park in the western or
southern (Table 1, Site 451) parking lots, both of which are accessible
from Eastern Avenue.
Restrooms are located just northeast of the pond, and a few outhouses
are scattered around the park. |
Large trees in the center of the park, just north of the pond (view east).
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Hours
Always open, but consider the birding to be sunrise to sunset.
Fees
None. |
Mesquite thicket and sand dunes just southeast of the pond. They don't
show in this photo, but there is a covey of Gambel's Quail on the lawn (view east).
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Specialties
This is a good place to find resident desert passerine species
and migrants, as well as waterfowl during winter. Check the mesquite
thickets for desert species such as Phainopepla and Black-tailed
Gnatcatchers; check the trees for warblers, orioles, and tanagers;
check the sand dunes for desert species; and check the pond for duck, grebes,
cormorants, and herons. |
Sand dunes south of the main parking area. Much of the Las
Vegas valley was originally covered with dunes (view south).
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No text. |
Table 1. Highway Coordinates (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S).
| Site # |
Location |
Latitude (°N) |
Longitude (°W) |
UTM Easting |
UTM Northing |
Elevation (feet) |
Verified |
| 451 |
Sunset Park |
36.0638 |
115.1127 |
669974 |
3992474 |
2,020 |
Yes |
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