Birding and Wildlife Viewing: General Information

Birdwatching and Wildlife Viewing

Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira NWR

Birdwatchers have long held Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira as two "must see" places. Over 320 bird species have been spotted in Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and 250 in Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Birds feeding along the roadways are easily observed with the naked eye. However, a 10X binocular or a spotting scope is ideal, especially for locating nests. (For example, the Yellow-headed Blackbird builds its nest by pulling together two or three cattails.)

Mid-March brings migrating ducks and cranes. Whooping Cranes migrate in flocks of two to seven and sometimes accompany the smaller gray sandhill crane. A Great Bend naturalist describes his first-time sighting:

"When I thought about how few of these are in the whole world and I saw a flock of 20, I was seeing one seventh of the world's population and that was to me like seeing Haley's Comet!"

Distinctive Whooping Crane characteristics are their five-foot height, snow-white color, red and black heads, black wing tips and most distinguishing of all, their loud "whooping" call during flight. Marsh waters provide crab, crayfish, frogs and other small aquatic life to boost the "whoopers" on their 2,500 mile trip between Northern Canada and South Texas. Whooping Cranes usually stop in the fall and occasionally in the spring in early April. Quivira's Wildlife Drive is the best place to see them but one should always call ahead to see if the "whoopers" are in residence.

Quivira: (620) 486-2393

Cheyenne Bottoms Hotline: (620) 793-7730

In April common shorebirds like the Sandpiper, Plover, Phalaropes, Avocets, Godwits, and Dowitchers come. Tens of thousands of these flock to the mudflats where they probe successfully for bloodworms to fatten up for the remainder of their homeward journeys. (Bloodworms are larvae of the midge fly, which swarms in summer providing food for swallows.) Over 100 species of shorebirds nest in the refuges. The Snowy Plover and the Kildeer build hundreds of nests in the banks along Quivira NWR's Wildlife Drive in the summer and 60 plus species are permanent residents. More than 25 species of ducks and geese have been identified and at times number over 600,000.

"Shorebird watching can be immensely enjoyable," says Gene Brehm, Wildlife and Parks writer. He notes that the real crowd pleasers are Wilson's Phalarope sandpipers that swim rapidly in tight circles, stirring insects from the bottom muck, then picking out larvae caught in the resulting current. "A casual observer... might think he's witnessing a group of brain damaged birds."

Summer birds include Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds who build nests in the cattails, and Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and American Bitterns who eat fish and frogs. Swainson's Hawk and Mississippi Kite are also summer residents. Marsh Hawks, Kestrels and Red-tailed Hawks are common throughout the year.

Barn Owls live around the CB headquarters building in specially made boxes. Burrowing Owls wait patiently beside prairie dog holes just north of the area and Great Horned Owls are easily sighted when they cross in front of the moon. Quivira has many owls living in timbered areas. Owl pellets that contain hair and bones of small rodents litter the sandy walking areas.

Fall brings almost a repeat of spring and winter brings the Golden and Bald Eagles. Look for Bald Eagles in Cheyenne Bottoms and around Little Salt March in Quivira.

Experienced birdwatchers like to go to various parts of the world to see gatherings of specific kinds of birds. This area offers VARIETY like none other in the world.

Birdwatching and Wildlife Viewing

Birdwatching Map