Birding Rocky Mountain National Park [Paperback]

Scott Roederer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002

Birders from across the country and around the world come to Rocky Mountain National Park every year to find white-tailed ptarmigan, black swifts, northern pygmy-owls, and other high-elevation specialties of the Rockies. In "Birding Rocky Mountain National Park," author Scott Roederer provides a close-up look at eight of the best birding areas in the popular national park. Applying his thirty years of birding experience in "Rocky," Roederer dedicates an entire chapter to each area, offering unprecedented detail in describing where to park, where to walk, what species to expect, and much more.

Want to find that white-tailed ptarmigan? The guide identifies specific locations to look for it, describing not only when and where to go but even how to walk the area in its specilized habitat to best find this elusive bird. Need a black swift for your life list? Forget the arduous hike usually recommended for this hard-to-find species; Roederer knows where to find them roadside in an area of the park not covered in other guides.

The book reveals the best times to visit Rocky Mountain National Park, and it also includes valuable information on trip planning. There’s even a chapter covering nearby briding areas, including one local hot spot where 227 species have been recorded. The author concludes with a species-by-species birdfinding guide, with information on when and where to find each species, including special tips for difficult-to-locate birds. Maps show each area in detail and beautiful illustrations by Estes Park artist Scott Rashid further enliven this indispensable guide.

"Rocky Mountain National Park has world-class birding, but you have to know just where to go. On my own past visits I have relied on the phenomenal knowledge of Scott Roederer; and with this book in hand, you can too. Scott’s presentation is detailed, authoritative, in-depth, and essential. No birder or naturalist should visit the park with out this book." —Kenn Kaufman

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An intimate, detailed guide to the best places to find birds in Rocky Mountain National Park.

About the Author

Scott Roederer, a Colorado native, has birded Rocky Mountain National Park for more than 30 years. He and his wife, Julie, served as local birding guides for a National Audubon conference and an American Birding Association national conference, arranging and co-leading trips in Rocky Mounatin National Park for Kenn Kaufman, John Dunn, and other nationally known birding experts. Scott Roederer is a book editor and author of "The Compleat Angler’s Catalog" and co-author of "An Angler’s Guide to Aquatic Insects and Their Imitations." He lives in Estes Park.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Johnson Books (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555663184
• ISBN-13: 978-1555663186
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,738,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Park Ranger Endorsement, August 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Birding Rocky Mountain National Park (Paperback)

This summer while stopped at an overlook on Trail Ridge Rd. in Rocky Mountain National Park, we spoke with a Park Ranger who had Scott Roederer's Birding Rocky Mountain National Park book in her vehicle. She told us that Scott's book was the best book on birding in RMNP. She uses it as a reference for park visitors who have questions about different birds and where to find them. It also is very well illustrated. I would definitely recommend this book for birders who visit this magnificent Park.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rocky Mountain Birder's Bible, August 22, 2002

By 

Two Avid Birders (Westport, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Birding Rocky Mountain National Park (Paperback)

As first time visitors to Rocky Mountain Park, we purchased Scott Roederer's Birding Rocky Mountain National Park in the park bookstore, but we wish we had had it to study beforehand. This guide not only focuses on the best locations for specific birds, but also provides careful directions (complete with odometer readings!) to trailheads that go well beyond the general maps available. We were also grateful for his strategies for avoiding the summer crowds, including when to arrive at specific trails and the order in which to bird them. Add to all of this Scott's warm, lucid style spiced with birding anecdotes that we can all relate to, and you get a bible for birding Rocky. Although we are certain that birding the park with Scott would have been the supreme experience, carrying his book in a hip pocket is the next best thing!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best RMNP Birdfinding Guide Available, January 8, 2006

By 

giantconebill (Watertown, New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Birding Rocky Mountain National Park (Paperback)

As a seasoned world birder with a very extensive birding library, I have purchased dozens of birdfinding guides to regions, countries, states, cities, parks and refuges, and local areas. Scott Roederer's book ranks among the very best birdfinding guides available. I purchased it prior to a trip to RMNP in 2003 and used it to successfully find a number of specialty species missing from my ABA Area and Colorado lists. Scott's book is sort of like a Lane/ABA Birdfinding Guide, but better. Since RMNP is large and possesses many different habitats, Scott has divided the park into about eight areas and provided thorough birdfinding directions for each of these areas. He uses easy-to-follow directions and strategies for locating not only specialty species, but the more common western birds as well. This book is easily used while driving your car since Scott has provided mileages (from various start points) using your trip odometer and bird species names in boldface. The same goes for use when hiking along trails. This book is directed toward both casual and serious birders who want to easily locate their target birds in a reasonable period of time while enjoying the beauty of RMNP. My main target birds for my all too brief trip to RMNP were the Brown-capped Rosy Finch, Williamson's Sapsucker, and Three-toed Woodpecker. Using Scott's directions and strategies for avoiding the crowds, I easily found the sapsucker and woodpecker on my first try at the Endovalley picnic area and the rosy finch along Trail Ridge Road at the Lava Cliffs parking area. The Lava Cliffs parking area is normally crammed full of tourists and birding is difficult or impossible. Scott suggested arriving at dawn before the other tourists were up and about and this strategy worked brilliantly. I had the entire parking area to myself and within minutes had several Brown-capped Rosy Finches land on the retaining wall about several meters from me. I'm looking forward to using this book again on my next trip to RMNP.