Birds in Nevada

The first thing that comes to mind when one mentions Nevada is that it’s a big state, a genuinely big state. The top birding locations have quite an expanse of land. A drive along the highways in the Great Basin will show you why the state is considered an arid one.

What Is The State Bird Of Nevada?

The Mountain Bluebird became Nevada’s state bird in 1967 and also possesses the same status in Idaho. Usually present in the high counties in Nevada, the tunes of the bird are bursts of warbles but clear in resonance. Preferring open areas and colder habitats, the female of the species are experts at nest building while the males acts like they’re helping even though they never manage to bring the material for the nest to the nest itself.

What Are the Top Bird Watching Spots In Nevada?

Other than Alaska, Nevada holds the title of owning the largest national wildlife refuge with Desert National Wildlife Refuge, a land of 1.6 million acre. About 25 miles northwest from the Las Vegas strip, it also has the highest species list in Nevada. If you’re lucky, you will find Gambel’s Quail and Sagebrush Sparrow in the refuge. Nesting birds such as Ash-throated Flycatcher, Hooded Oriole and Virding are quite easy to come across.

Great Basin National Park might be among the less visited national parks of Nevada, but those who have visited the mountain area and caves have certainly left with memories worth a lifetime. The lower areas of the Great Basin will allow you to see Western Tanager, Cordilleran Flycatcher, and MacGillivray’s Warbler among many other birds.

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How Many Birds Can You See in Nevada?

Birds in Nevada round up to in the form of 479 species. For a birdwatcher, the county where you’re likely to experience the most species of birds along with scenic diversity would be Clark. The species count is at 429 there. Nye, Lincoln, Esmeralda, Washoe also have much to offer with the count of 355, 342, 337, and 335.

Desert NWR–Corn Creek is Nevada’s one of loved hotspots, with a species count that’s at 302 currently. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve and Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs are two places you shouldn’t skip out on either, with the species count ranging from 298 to 287.

Top Birds To See In Nevada

Crossbill is one such among the birds in Nevada that most people look forward to seeing. It’s a pink bird with black wings and they tend to be quite small. Another fitting term for them is that they are round.

Phainopepla is one of those birds that are rare in Nevada and in America in general. They are a black bird with a small black crown on their head. For some reason, they always appear a little spooked.

Common Birds To See In Nevada

Las Vegas and Yellow Breasted Chat go hand in hand. Common Grackles are also common in the city. Las Vegas, in general, has lots of birds roaming in and around the city, from House Finch to Golden Crowned Sparrow.

Henderson is also used for House Finches and Common Grackles.

Final Thoughts

About a huge part of Nevada’s population either live in Las Vegas or around it. The city certainly has some good birding sites close to it, so it’s the city you want to land in while visiting Nevada, besides the obvious fun everyone has come to associate Vegas with.