Birding Around Las Vegas
Urban birding can be good for desert species and the many western species that are not tied to the desert. For the most part, these places are good to check early in the day or when you want to get outside for a few minutes.
Suburban Las Vegas, full of parks, golf courses, and back yards, acts like a giant oasis in the middle of the Mojave Desert, attracting migrants and residents species from far and wide. Although they are widely dispersed, many desert species can be found in parks and yards; for example, I often see Verdins, Inca Doves, Anna's Hummingbirds, and Say's Phoebe in my yard. During winter, golf courses attract large numbers of waterfowl, and wading birds can be found throughout the year on urban ponds. Some of the older city parks have old Fremont's cottonwood trees and ponds that offer good birding all year.
While locals can take advantage of casual birding around neighborhood lakes and while traveling about town, visitors should focus their efforts on public parks and wildlife areas.
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Duck Creek Trail. Wetland ponds and a stream attract ducks, shorebirds, and wetland species. Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs. Trees, lakes, desert, and the typical grassy urban-park areas. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Trails lead among shrub-lined ponds. The birding here keeps getting better and better. Las Vegas Springs Preserve. A "Visitor Attraction" developed by the Water District protects Mojave Desert Scrub and riparian areas. Lorenzi Park. An urban park with grassy fields, a fishing pond, rose gardens, and old cottonwood trees. Sunset Park. An urban park with a pond, trees, and remnants of the mesquite-sand dune system that once covered much of the Las Vegas Valley. Wetlands Park Nature Preserve. Wetlands along Las Vegas Wash. Trails wind through the area, but it isn't quite ready for prime time birding. Corn Creek, Red Rocks, and Lake Mead are close to the urban area. |
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© 2013 Jim Boone; Last updated 120901
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