CHECK-LIST OF COLORADO BIRDS 



THE following list includes all the species and vari- 

 eties, so far as known to naturalists, occurring in 

 the State of Colorado. Of course, these birds as 

 families are not restricted to that State, and therefore the 

 catalogue comprehends many of the species to be found 

 in adjacent and even more remote parts of the country. 

 Aside from the author's own observations, he is indebted 

 for a large part of the matter comprised in this list to 

 Professor Wells W. Cooke's pamphlet, entitled, "The Birds 

 of Colorado," with the several appendixes, and to the 

 invaluable manuals of Mr. Ridgway and Dr. Coues. 



According to the latest information accessible to the 

 writer, 389 species and varieties occur in Colorado, of 

 which 24^3 are known to breed. This is a superb record, 

 and is excelled by only two other States in the Union, 

 namely, Texas and California. Colorado's splendid list is 

 to be explained on the ground of its wonderful variety of 

 climate, altitude, soil, and topogi-aphical features, such as 

 its plains, foothills, lower mountains, and towering peaks 

 and I'anges, bringing within its boundaries many eastern, 

 boreal, middle western, and far western forms. 



The author's preference would have been to begin the 

 roll with the most interesting birds, those to which he 

 gave the largest share of his attention, namely, the oscines, 



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