Yellowstone has many birds. Records of bird sightings have been kept in Yellowstone since its establishment in 1872. These records document nearly 300 species of birds to date, including raptors, songbirds, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Approximately 150 species nest in the park. The variation in elevation and broad array of habitat types contribute to the relatively high diversity. Many of the birds are migratory species. There are currently no federally listed bird species in Yellowstone National Park.
Birds can be located throughout the park. I am not going to list every type of bird in Yellowstone. If you are interested, here is the link to the official list of all birds from the Yellowstone National Park Service Website: Bird Checklist. The following is a collection of photos and information about my favorite birds I routinely see in my time visiting Yellowstone.
Mountain Bluebird
The mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides), hover over the ground and fly down to catch insects, also flying from a perch to catch them. They mainly eat insects and berries. They can be found in meadows across Yellowstone.
Male Mountain Bluebirds can be easily spotted among the green meadows. Females are more gray and blend in a better. They are migratory. The return of the Mountain Bluebird signals that spring is here.
Sandhill Cranes
Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) nest in Yellowstone each summer. Their guttural calls announce their presence long before most people see them. Their gray feathers blend in well with their grassland habitat. The tallest birds in Yellowstone, they stand about 4 feet high. They have a wingspan of approximately 6.5 feet and are often mistaken for standing humans or other animals at a distance.
Pair of Sandhill Cranes from the Rescue Creek Trail.
Sandhill Cranes are tall, averaging 3-4 feet in height. They travel south for the winter.
Trumpeter Swans
The trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator), named for its resonant call, is North America’s largest wild waterfowl, with a wingspan of up to eight feet. These swans require open water, feed mainly on aquatic plants, and nest in wetlands. Nearly all Rocky Mountain trumpeter swans, including several thousand that migrate from Canada, winter in ice-free waters in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but only a portion of them remain here to breed. The larger numbers make winter viewing easier. In the warmer months they are spread out. In summer, I have seen them on the Madison, the Gibbon and Yellowstone Rivers.
Trumpeter Swans in January seen on the Firehole River
Dusky Grouse
There are two types of grouse (Dusky and Ruffed) in Yellowstone. The dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) is a species of forest-dwelling grouse native to the Rocky Mountains in North America. This dusky grouse was along the Beaver Ponds Trail that leaves from Mammoth. The dusky grouse is a year round resident. They forage on the ground, or in trees in winter. In winter, they mainly eat fir and douglas-fir needles, occasionally also hemlock and pine needles; in summer, they eat other green plants, berries, and insects (particularly ants, beetles, and grasshoppers).
Dusky Grouse seen on Beaver Ponds Trail
Dusky Grouse
Golden Eagle
The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best-known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their napes. Year round residents of the park, Golden eagles hunt in open country for rabbits and other small mammals. This one was spotted near Chittenden Road (on the road between Canyon & Tower).
Golden Eagle perches in tree while scanning meadows for prey
Bald Eagle
The national bird of the United States, the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey. Year round residents, in Greater Yellowstone they feed primarily on fish, but also on waterfowl and carrion. In 2014, park staff monitored 18 active bald eagle nests. Bald eagles are usually found near water. They also nest in large trees close to water. I have spotted Bald Eagles often in Hayden Valley and along the Northeast Entrance Road including Lamar Valley.
Bald Eagle and Ravens scavenge on a bison carcass
Bald Eagle sits atop a tree
Osprey
Osprey, (Pandion haliaeetus), are migratory, returning to Yellowstone in April and leaving in September. The osprey is a bird of prey who hunts fish. Usually near lakes (such as Yellowstone Lake), river valleys (such as Hayden, Madison, Firehole, and Lamar valleys), and in river canyons (such as the Gardner Canyon and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River). An Osprey nest has been located along the Northeast Entrance Road at a large pull-off on the right, just past the Slough Creek turnoff (heading toward the NE Entrance).
Osprey in tree along Firehole River
