2025 North American Life Birds
This year I definitely did not get out birding as often as I liked or intended, and while my life list overall benefited greatly from a spring trip to England, I still made some headway on my North American life list. And since it's the season to reflect on the year just past, here is an accounting of all the species I added to my North American life list this year, in order.
Crested Caracara (eBird)
Colorado has seen three Crested Caracaras, a bird normally limited to the southern border regions of this country, show up in the state in the last year or so. The first I remember hearing about was out in Montezuma County last winter. So, count that one out for me. But when one showed up on a ranch southwest of Pueblo in late winter/early spring this year, I made my arrangements. Good thing it was so close, as it took me a couple of tries, but finally it showed up for me. Still not close enough for a great looks, but we did get identifiable looks. That's how birding goes sometimes. I finally added Greater Roadrunner, one of my most favorite birds, to my state list in that same canyon, so all around a great birding day.
White-headed Woodpecker and Red-breasted Sapsucker (eBird)
On a trip to Reno to visit my good friend, I dragged him out to a nearby mountain trail in a place I figured I had a good shot at a couple new-to-me woodpeckers. White-headed we found within maybe the first 15 minutes. The sapsuckers took more doing, but once I spotted my first, two more were much easier to spot. We also saw snow plant, and marveled at the absolutely gigantic Jeffrey Pine cones that littered the ground.
Northern Bobwhite (eBird)
I've wished to detect Northern Bobwhite in the state for years. So in June I drove out to an area along the Platte near Brush, the heart of bobwhite country in this part of the state in order to do so. Shortly after leaving the car I heard my first, and heard several more along the way, though I didn't lay eyes on one. There's always next year.
Eastern Warbling Vireo
Eastern Warbling Vireo, which I got on the same trip to get bobwhite, was a lifer gained from the summer AOS "split" of Warbling Vireo into Eastern and Western species. This is definitely not an earned lifer, as at this point I have no idea how to differentiate between the two species in the field except by geography.
Thick-billed Longspur (eBird)
On the same day I headed to Brush, I drove north to the Pawnee National Grassland to pick up Thick-billed Longspur - a bird I should have seen (and probably have seen) on previous trips to those grasslands. Having actually brushed up on the field marks before this trip, I was ready for the characteristic white tail pattern which made it a quick pickup when I arrived at a good field.
Ruddy Turnstone (eBird)
This fall a Ruddy Turnstone showed up at Cherry Creek State Park. A distinctive shorebird - even in non-breeding plumage - this was truly one that I just had to wait for and take my shot.
Crissal Thrasher (eBird)
On a restorative trip to Ojo Caliente, New Mexico this fall, I did my best to look for Western Screech-owl (which I did not find, despite a half-hearted attempt. I may just not be built for owling). But on a morning hike onto BLM land above the resort, I stumbled upon a bird I've hoped to see for the better part of a decade, and was not seeking at all as it is uncommon-to-rare in Taos and Rio Arriba Counties: Crissal Thrasher. In terms of habitat, it was exactly where it should have been: in brush lining a desert arroyo. I knew what I was looking at because I saw it's plain brown affect and rusty undertail coverts as it dove into said brush, and noted it's white and black malar as it peeked at me from a space in the brush before slinking off to god-knows-where.
State Birds
I also added a number of great birds to my state list, bringing my total to 355 species in Colorado. In addition to the bona fide lifers I saw in the state, I added Northern Cardinal in my home county, Anhinga in Boulder County, a singing immature Painted Bunting and Cactus Wren in southeastern Colorado's canyon country, Wood Stork in Broomfield of all places, and Neotropic Cormorant in the same area along Boulder Creek that brought in the Anhinga. And in addition to and while I was out birding, I also racked up lifer Brown Tarantula at La Junta's Tarantula Fest, and of course my CBC Bobcat in my own patch!