birding...

Western Meadowlark Sturnella neglecta ©Robert Royse http://www.roysephotos.com/index.html

Kansas is located in the central part of the contiguous 48 states. There have been 459 species recorded in the state. Kansas slopes from an elevation of about 600 feet in the southeast to an altitude of 4000+ in the extreme northwestern part. Although the northwest is at a higher elevation, it is referred to as the high plains and can appear to be quite flat. Because of its central location, Kansas has western species, northern species in winter, eastern species breeding and in migration, and birds that stray northward from the Gulf coast in the spring and fall such as Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, and Magnificent Frigatebird.

Kansas has the largest extant prairie in the United States. The Flint Hills are about 200 miles north and south and up to 50 miles wide. Much of the Flint Hills are still in native grasses. The Konza Prairie Preserve near Manhattan is a prime example. Certain areas of the Konza provide excellent habitat for Henslow`s Sparrow. You should contact the proper authorities before birding this area. The Upland Sandpiper is a common breeding bird, as is the Greater Prairie Chicken.

The eastern one third of the state is made up of rolling hills with patches of forest dotted around the area. The extreme Southeastern part is Ozarkian with the associated birds such as Yellow-throated Warbler, Cerulean Warbler and other eastern forest birds. The Northeastern portion is also forested along the Missouri River and many of the eastern warblers are found in migration and breeding. There have been 37 species of warblers recorded.

Many large reservoirs are found in the eastern and central part of Kansas and are a major attraction for waterfowl and gulls. With the building of the reservoirs, many species have become regular migrants to the state such as Bonaparte`s Gull, Thayer`s Gull, and the occasional Sabine`s Gull. There have been 26 species of larids recorded and one alcid.

Two of the major birding areas in the central part of Kansas are Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. These two major central Kansas wetlands attract Whooping Cranes making these two marshes major stopovers during the fall migration. In addition to the Whooping Cranes, up to 200,000 Sandhill Cranes have been recorded in the fall. Cheyenne Bottoms has been designated a wetland of international importance because of the numbers of shorebirds that utilize the area in migration. It is estimated that some shorebirds such as the White-rumped Sandpiper may have 90% of the world`s population migrating through the area. Because of the vast salt beds that underlie central Kansas, many of the marshes are brackish. Coastal species that nest here in small numbers are Tricolored Heron and Mottled Duck. Neotropical Cormorants are observed every year but nesting hasn`t been recorded. Western Grebes have recently started nesting at Cheyenne Bottoms. At any one time in May, there can be thousands of shorebird present at either of these two marshes. Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets nest in the marshes along with White-faced Ibis. There have been 43 species of shorebirds recorded.

Most of the short grass prairie in the west has been ploughed and birding can be quite dismal in the western half. However, there are oases of lakes and grasslands that can be excellent for birds. Scott County State Lake is one of those areas. Also cities in the area act as attractants to species because of the trees and available water. Several species of hummingbirds have been recorded in Garden City. Kansas has had nine species of hummingbirds recorded.

The Cimarron National Grasslands in extreme Southwestern Kansas is a Mecca for birdwatchers. Many of the western species have been found only in this area. It is approximately 60 airline miles from the Black Mesa of Colorado and Oklahoma and many of the birds from that area periodically invade this corner of the state such as Bushtit, Steller`s Jay, Scrub Jay, Canyon Towhee, Sage Sparrow, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Curve-billed Thrasher, Sage Thrasher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and many of the western flycatchers. Mountain Plovers nest here along with Long-billed Curlew. Lesser Prairie-Chickens also nest in the Cimarron National Grasslands and blinds have been set up for photography and observation of these increasingly uncommon species. McCown Longspur, Lapland Longspur, and Chestnut-collared Longspur can be found in winter and in migration.

One other area that has recently caught the attention of birdwatchers is the Red Hills of south-central Kansas in Barber and Comanche Counties. There are large areas of short-grass prairie that have mesas and lot of valleys with red cedar. Most winters you can find Mountain Bluebirds wintering. In the summer you might find nesting Rufous-crowned Sparrows if you find the right canyon. Lesser Prarie-Chickens are found in this area. This was the last strong hold of the Black-capped Vireo in Kansas and it is possible they may show up here again.

One word of caution when birding in Kansas. This state has the least amount of public land of any state in the United States. Most of the places you will bird away from refuges and reservoirs are private property. Most farmers and ranchers welcome birders on their land if you ask for permission first. If you don`t ask, you will be asked to leave. Fortunately, Kansas has more roads than most states and birding from the roads isn`t bad. However, even birding along remote roads may bring an inquiry as to what you are doing. If you are polite and explain what you are doing, most landowners will become friendly and might even show you some areas on their property that provides excellent birding.