Wildlife in Colorado

Before you go to Colorado, you need to know your moose from your elks. Not that you will worry about definitions if one walks out in front of your car, but it’s part of the Coloradan scene, so good to know. A North American moose is what we Europeans like to call an elk. They are the largest of the deer family in North America, have palm shaped antlers and a chin beard. The American elk is what Europeans call red deer, more rust coloured than a moose, stick like antlers and about 180 kg lighter in weight. You might also get confused between a bison and a buffalo. Don’t be. They are the same.

The official state animal of Colorado, they are fairly elusive and hang out on the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Not to be confused with mountain goats, they are so called for their massive, curling horns and like most Coloradans you will meet on your travels, they are agile and at ease on the rugged terrain – although the sheep do favour the more hardcore rugged bits way up above the treeline in the alpine tundra regions. Both the male and female have horns, but the female ones are shorter and less curvy. They do not shed their horns, so they can grow to be as big as 120 cms in length. And yes the rams do use those big horns to rut out their differences with other rams, but otherwise they are very peaceful animals. They can be seen all over Colorado, but the Rocky Mountain National Park and Horseshoe Park are popular viewing spots. You can spot their relations, the desert bighorn sheep at the National Monument too, where they were reintroduced a few years ago.

There are many bird species in Colorado, but it is the hawks and eagles that stand out most, swooping over these dramatic landscapes like masters of the wind. The bald eagle, with its white head, is always exciting to spot, and the State Forest State Park is a good place for sightings, but you might be lucky enough to spot one in Denver, as there are about a hundred along the South Platte River Trail. The San Juan National Forest is also a great breeding ground, and with 1.8 million acres to play with, this is definitely binocular territory.

The National Monument is also home to nine breeding species of raptors and has been designated as an Important Bird area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society. The red tailed hawk is the most common in the Rocky Mountain National Park, although these also head to the flatter eastern plains in the winter months, and are often spotted soaring as they search for prey. They favour the ponderosa pine which is so common in Colorado, but also enjoy swooping out across the open meadows and grasslands.