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Bird watching
at the
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
Almost 300 species of
birds can be seen at the RGNCSP. About 40 of these
are residents and the rest are seasonal visitors.
Our two most popular year-round residents are the
roadrunner, New Mexico’s state bird, and
the wood duck. You can probably spot
them on the grounds without even trying!
Before
heading out into the field to observe our winged
residents, stop by the RGNCSP Visitors Center (open
daily 10-5). The Visitors Center offers the
following resources of interest to birders:
Bird
checklist
There is a poster size version of the
RGNCSP bird checklist for viewing on the wall just
outside the Nature Shop and a paper copy available
inside for sale inside the Shop. The NM bird
checklist is also available for sale.
Basic
binoculars and wildlife field guides
These can be borrowed from the front
desk staff by leaving a driver’s license.
Guided bird
walks
There is a guided bird walk every
Saturday and Sunday morning (times vary throughout
the year, please call ahead). Don’t forget your
binoculars!
List of
recently seen species
If you’d like to know what birds have
been seen lately, ask at the front desk. The weekend
bird walk guides keep a log of the species seen on
each walk in the Bird Walk binder.
The
Observation Room
The beautiful glass-walled room
overlooking our main pond is a great viewing area!
It’s especially good for folks wishing to avoid a
lot of walking or for anyone wanting to view winter
waterfowl. The room contains a recent sightings list
to which anyone can add and a laminated key to our
most common avian pond visitors.
Trail maps
The front desk staff can provide you with a trail
map and help you locate bird feeding stations and
wildlife viewing blinds on the grounds.
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