Kansas Birding Resources

Kansas State Bird - Western Meadowlark

Kansas may not seem like a birding hotspot but the wetlands and prairies of the state make it one of the best locations in the country for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. During spring migration from March through May, native Kansas birds mingle with millions of migratory birds on their journey north. Because of the Central Flyway migratory route, Kansas can boast sightings of 470 species of birds within its borders, more than surrounding states.

Wildbird Magazine once rated the central wetlands as the 8th best place in the country to go birding.

Spring:
Mid-April may be the peak of shorebird migration, with waterfowl and songbirds moving through for another month or so.

Fall:
Fall migration is more spread out, as usual. Shorebirds are early migrants and may start showing up in July. September and early October are peak periods for many migrating species.

The Nifty Fifty

The Nifty Fifty is a mini-guide to the birds of Kansas. It includes descriptions, images, video and songs of 50 of the most often observed birds of Kansas. View the guide by clicking here or on the Nifty Fifty link on the left.

You will need the free Flash player to view the guide.

Some birds prefer to stay near the ground, while others are almost always seen high in a tree. Look for the following notations in the species descriptions to determine where the species is most likely to be seen. If a note is not present, the bird does not have a strong affinity for a particular region.

• Look high.
• Look mid-story.

Birding Festivals

Birding festivals are a great way to become familiar with birding hotspots in any state. There are two spring festivals in Kansas.

Kansas Birding Festival
Wakefield, Kansas
April
Over 300 species can be seen in the area. This area is rich in birding opportunities during the later part of April. Not only are there native birds who inhabit the area year round, but it is the prime season for birds that migrate. Combine this with Milford Lake, the wetlands, and the native prairie; and you have the best locations in America for bird sightings.

Wings & Wetlands Weekend
Great Bend, Kansas
April

Features Cheyenne Bottoms/Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

Ornithological Society

State Ornithological Society
The Kansas Ornithological Society provides a lot of information on the birds of Kansas. Attending spring and fall meetings is one of the best ways to learn about top birding locations in different parts of the state.

Kansas Checklist

Birding Locations

Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve - 8,000 acres
Near Great Bend, Kansas
Nearly one-half of all North American shorebirds migrating east of the Rocky Mountains and up to one-quarter million waterfowl stop at Cheyenne Bottoms to rest and feed during seasonal migrations. The shallow marshes — averaging less than one foot deep — are ideal habitats for wading shorebirds.

State of Kansas information on Cheyenne Bottoms.

The Nature Conservancy information.


Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
Sand dunes and century-old cottonwood trees punctuate this salt and fresh water marsh which harbors over 500,000 birds during spring and fall migrations. Quivira National Wildlife Refuge has two short easy walking trails, but birds and wildlife are easily seen from your vehicle.

Like Cheyenne Bottoms, 22,000-acre Quivira National Wildlife Refuge has been designated a “Wetland of International Importance” by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. But unlike Cheyenne Bottoms, some of the marshes at Quivira are salty. In this area, fresh groundwater rests on a layer of salt water. An upthrust in the bedrock forces salt water into Rattlesnake Creek and nearby springs. Evaporation can make the marshes far saltier than the ocean. The salt flats around these marshes are the preferred breeding habitat for increasingly rare birds like the least tern and snowy plover.

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge conserves not only wetlands, but also extensive native prairie. Here, you'll see raptors like peregrine falcon, swainson's hawk, a bald eagle soaring overhead, and upland birds like ring-necked pheasant, northern bobwhite (quail), and wild turkey foraging in the grasslands.

Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
1434 NE 80th Street
Stafford, Kansas 67578
620-486-2393
Quivira@fws.gov


Smoky Valley Ranch - 16,800 acres
Near Scott City, Kansas
On this land, you'll find a sight that has almost vanished from America — bison roaming a shortgrass prairie as they did hundreds of years ago. But Smoky Valley Ranch is more than prairie. Dramatic chalk bluffs overlook large expanses of grassland, rocky ravines and Smoky Hill River. Breaks along the upper reaches of the river represent a transition zone between mixed grass and shortgrass prairie environments.

The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve - 11,000 acres
Near Strong City, KS. 85 miles north of Wichita, Kansas
The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a public/private partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. This partnership is dedicated to preserving and enhancing a nationally significant remnant of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem and the processes that sustain it; preserving and interpreting the cultural resources of the preserve and the heritage associated with the former ranch property; and offering opportunities for education, inspiration and enjoyment through public access to its geological, ecological, scenic and historical features.

Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge
The refuge consists of 18,500 acres located on the upstream portion of John Redmond Reservoir. The refuge is managed primarily for migratory waterfowl.

Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge
Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1954 for the conservation, maintenance, and management of wildlife resources, particularly migratory birds.

The Refuge is located in the rolling hills and narrow valley of the north fork of the Solomon River in north-central Kansas. In this region, the tallgrass prairie of the east meets the shortgrass plains of the west. As a result, grasses and wildlife common to both of these habitats are found on the Refuge. Kirwin NWR also includes riparian forest, small wetlands, large open water, and cropland. This habitat diversity supports more than 300 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge
702 E. Xavier Rd.
Kirwin, KS 67644

Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge
Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located 39 miles south of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The 7,500-acre Refuge was established in 1992 to protect one of the most northwestern areas of bottomland hardwood forest in the United States as well as the largest contiguous tract of bottomland hardwood forest in Kansas.

The Refuge is named after the Marais des Cygnes River which runs through the middle of the Refuge and is the dominant natural feature of the region. The term "marais des cygnes" comes from the French language and means "marsh of the swans." It is presumed that trumpeter swans, which were historically common in the Midwest, used the wetlands adjacent to the Marais des Cygnes River during spring and fall migration.
The Refuge offers visitors the chance to view bottomland hardwood forest and tallgrass prairie. Both of these plant communities are rare in North America today. Bottomland hardwood forest has been reduced by 80 percent nationally since Euro-American settlement, and tallgrass prairie has been reduced by 99 percent.

Cimarron National Grasslands
Cimarron National Grasslands is the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Their mailing address is:

242 Highway 56 East

PO Box 300
Elkhart KS 67950

Chaplin Nature Center

Prairie Chickens

Many birders visit Kansas for the opportunity to view Lesser or Great Prairie Chickens on their booming grounds. Here are a few favorite locations. Mid-March to Mid-April are the typical peak period.

Tallgrass Spiritual Retreat Center

Konza Environmental Education Program
Konza Prairie Biological Station
K-State Division of Biology
116 Ackert Hall
Manhattan, Kansas 66506-4901

Kansas Wetlands Education Center.
Fort Hayes State University
KWEC overlooks Cheyenne Bottoms; the largest inland marsh in the United States
Great Bend, Kansas

Other web sites
The Birding in Kansas web site has a great deal of information on birding in Kansas.

Scenic ByWays

Wetlands & Wildlife National Scenic Byway
This 77-mile byway connects two of the world's most significant natural wetlands—Cheyenne Bottoms and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. More than 60,000 acres of wetlands host millions of migrating birds each year, including waterfowl, shorebirds, even whooping cranes.
Visit Great Bend, KS
Additional information

Flint Hills Scenic Byway
Council Grove to Cassodaw
Located in the heart of the Flint Hills Scenic Byway, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve offers you a chance to unwind among an amazing combination of unspoiled prairie and rare wildflowers.

Located in the heart of the Flint Hills Scenic Byway, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve offers you a chance to unwind among an amazing combination of unspoiled prairie and rare wildflowers.

Located in the heart of the Flint Hills Scenic Byway, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is an amazing combination of unspoiled prairie and rare wildflowers. Imagine a place that captures the intense beauty of the Wild West, a region once covered by tallgrass prairie. In the continental U.S. today, less than four percent remains of the once 140 million acres of North American tallgrass prairie. Most of it now lies in the captivating Flint Hills of Kansas, which provide the perfect retreat to refresh your soul with meditation and nature's beauty. Breathe in the blossoms as you take a break from a fast-paced lifestyle and slow down along America's pure prairie.

Kansas State ByWays

Raptor Centers

The Kansas Raptor Center in Great Bend is dedicated to preserving that sense of wonder for future generations. The center specializes in the medical rehabilitation of eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, and vultures. Visitors have a unique chance to observe medical procedures through one-way mirrors. The Kansas Raptor Center is the entrance to the Great Bend Zoo. For more information, call the Great Bend Zoo, 620-793-4226.

The center provides training in avian medicine and surgery and identifies issues related to raptor health. Live birds of prey programs are presented by trained staff at the center every day. Located just a few miles from Cheyenne Bottoms (a magnet for thousands of birds migrating along the Central Flyway), the Kansas Raptor Center focuses on birds of all types .

Bird watchers will find expert information and naturalist-led tours of Cheyenne Bottoms at the Center. Special events include Earth Day, Migratory Bird Day, bird counts, bird feeding workshops, bird-friendly gardening, and more. The Center has a vibrant gallery that features zoo and raptor exhibits, interactive displays and hands-on learning stations.

Wildflower Festivals

Wildflower Weekend
September
Lawrence, Kansas

Wine Festivals

Wine festivals are not necessarily the best birding locations but sometimes the spouse needs something to do, or maybe there is a need to celebrate the latest life bird or rarity. Here are a couple of places to relax after a tough day of birding.

Village West WineFest -
September
Kansas City, Kansas

Midwest Winefest
April
Wichita, Kansas

Other resources and locations

If you have suggestions for additional birding resources in Kansas, from web sites to your favorite birding location, submit your information using the following form. You can cut and paste large amounts if text into the information field. Birding locations are the most desired, but any good resource on Kansas birds is welcomed.

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