Migratory Birds at CU

As birds migrate every spring and fall, CU Boulder’s campus makes for a fruitful stopping point for some, pictured above. Last November, four south-migrating warblers — birds not typically spotted in Colorado — were spotted in beech, oak and pine trees near the Regent Building.

“Two of the four (the Northern Parula and the Prothonotary Warbler) stayed for almost two weeks,” said teaching associate professor Nathan Pipelow, faculty sponsor of the CU birding club. “The other two (the Pine Warbler and the Nashville Warbler) were only seen for a single day each.”

Terri Kurtz (ChemEngr’93) picked up birding and photography during the pandemic. Rare bird sightings bring her particular excitement.

“This year in Boulder, I have been lucky enough to find a Blue-Winged Warbler, a Varied Thrush and a juvenile Pacific Loon,” she said. “Once a rare bird is seen, word goes out and the birders ‘flock’ to chase it!”