Petrified Forest National Park guide · 1 min read
Roadrunners, Hawks and 200 Grassland Bird Species
What you see here changes with the seasons, especially among the birds, so birdwatching rewards repeat visits.
Pack binoculars and telephoto lenses, and observe from a distance instead of closing in. Most of the animals here are wild, so give them plenty of room. Never feed them, including the ravens.
Spring and fall are the peak seasons for birds. The park lies along a busy branch of the north-south migration routes, so visitors in those months can spot songbirds, hawks, eagles, and waterfowl. The Puerco River corridor is worth a look at any time of year. Its riparian strip draws year-round residents and passing travelers alike, and warblers, vireos, avocets, and killdeer are among the species that turn up there.
Most of the grassland here is shortgrass prairie, a semi-arid steppe. Grassland birds include red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, burrowing owls, horned larks, and scaled quail, alongside songbirds and species that forage on the ground. Roadrunners are part of this open landscape too. The western meadowlark is admired for its song, while the golden eagle is the largest bird in the park, with wings that can stretch as much as seven feet from tip to tip.
Few birds in the park are smaller than Anna's hummingbird, which can hold still in midair and even fly in reverse. Eagles often show up along the stretch between mile marker eight and Puerco Pueblo. Around the museum and visitor center, the developed grounds are a good spot for western tanagers, hermit warblers, and house finches. Water sources and facilities are also good places to pause, since birds gather there.
Common ravens are found throughout the park, so you will likely notice them on most walks. Like the other wild animals here, they should never be fed.
