Big Bend National Park Birding Sites

Big Bend National Park, encompassing more than 800,000 acres and with elevations that vary from 1,850 to 7,835 feet, contains a wide variety of habitats, from river and desert in the lowlands to coniferous forest in the mountains. It is one of the nation’s primary birding sites, and more bird species have been recorded (more than 450) here than in any other national park. The Chisos Mountains, the southernmost mountain range in the United States, contain vegetation and wildlife typical of that found in the mountains of northeastern Mexico. The Chisos Basin (5,400 feet elevation) forms the heart of the Chisos Mountains, where most of the mountain trails begin. These trails range from short and easy to longer and more difficult. The 9-mile round-trip hike to Boot Canyon is rough. The Lost Mine Trail and the Window Trail are moderate 5- mile round-trips. Birders should check the birder’s log at the Panther Junction Visitor Center when they first arrive in the park for any extraordinary sightings. The visitor center also contains an excellent bookstore. Key Birds: “Mexican Duck” (Mallard), Golden Eagle, Peregrine and Prairie Falcons, Scaled Quail, Greater Roadrunner, White-throated Swift, Eastern and Western Screech-Owls, Acorn Woodpecker, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Black and Say’s Phoebes, Vermilion Flycatcher, Mexican Jay, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Rock and Canyon Wrens, Curve-billed and Crissal Thrashers, Hutton’s Vireo, Pyrrhuloxia, Canyon Towhee, Rufous-crowned and Black-chinned Sparrows, and Lesser Goldfinch are present year-round. Common Black-Hawk; Zone-tailed and Gray Hawks; Lesser Nighthawk; Common Poorwill; Whip-poor-will; Band-tailed Pigeon; Elf and Flammulated Owls; Lucifer Hummingbird; Blue-throated, Magnificent, Broad-tailed, and Rufous (by July) Hummingbirds; Cordilleran Flycatcher; Violet-green and Cave Swallows; Phainopepla; Black-capped Vireo; Gray Vireo; Colima Warbler; Lucy’s Warbler; Hepatic Tanager; Varied and Painted Buntings; Bronzed Cowbird; and Hooded and Scott’s Orioles occur in summer. Anna’s Hummingbird, Yellow-bellied and Red-naped Sapsuckers, Townsend’s Solitaire, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Sage Thrasher, Green-tailed Towhee, and Cassin’s, Clay-colored, Brewer’s, Sage, and Baird’s Sparrows can usually be found in winter. This eTrail provides detailed information on birding strategies for this specific location, the specialty birds and other key birds you might see, directions to each birding spot, a detailed map, and helpful general information. This eTrail covers these areas of Big Bend NP: Rio Grande Village, Chisos Mountains, Blue Creek Canyon, and Cottonwood Campground/Santa Elena Canyon.