Mountains to Plains Region Project
To aid conservation and management of grasslands in Colorado, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies has partnered with the City of Fort Collins to inventory and monitor grassland birds on city-owned properties in Larimer and Weld counties. The project began in 2006 and 2007 on Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, expanded significantly in 2008 and 2009 with the incorporation of Meadow Springs Ranch and Round Butte Ranch, and grew again in 2010 with the addition of the Bernard Ranch.
These properties support breeding populations of more than 20 high-priority bird species, primarily grassland species, recognized by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners In Flight, the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups. These properties comprise the southern end of the largest remaining contiguous prairie in North America, stretching from here to Alberta and Saskatchewan and east into Nebraska and the Dakotas, and thus present an incredible opportunity for grassland conservation.
In 2018, Baird’s Sparrows were confirmed breeding at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, the first record of this species reproducing in the State of Colorado. Click here to read the full story about this remarkable discovery. Photo by Andy Bankert.
Reports from Mountains to Plains Project
2022 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Soapstone Prairie Bird Monitoring Report
2022 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Poudre River Riparian Corridor Bird Monitoring Report
2021 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – FootHills Shrublands Report
2021 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Bobcat Ridge and Crossline Canyon Report
2020 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – FootHills Shrublands Report
2020 Mountain to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Crossline Canyon Inventory Report
2019 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Soapstone Prairie Bird Monitoring Report
2019 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Poudre River Riparian Corridor Bird Monitoring Report
2018 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Density and Trends of Grassland Birds
2017 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Density and Trends of Grassland Birds
2016 Density and Trends of Grassland Birds on City of Fort Collins Properties in the Mountains to Plains area of Northern Colorado
2014 Mountains to Plains (Northern Colorado) – Density and Trends of Grassland Birds through an Episode of Sylvatic Plague
2013 Density and Trends of Grassland Birds on City of Fort Collins Properties in the Mountains to Plains Area
2012 Bird Density and Distribution in the Mountains to Plains Area
2011 Bird Density and Distribution on Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Meadow Springs Ranch
2010 Bird Density, Distribution and Nest Monitoring on Mountains to Plains Area
View more reports on the Bird Conservancy’s Reports page.