Meet the Ornithologist Behind Our New Hummingbird Station
Wildlife biologist Zach Hutchinson shares how a crash course in birds led to a lifelong passion, and what he hopes visitors will take away from Ranchlands’ new hummingbird banding station.
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The Place of Humanity in the Tapestry of Lifeforms
The environmental writer Dan Flores on the history of humans and wildlife in North America, coyotes, and our human relationship to the rest of the natural world.
Who's Afraid of Mountain Lions
My wife pieced together a kill in our driveway, sending me pictures of deer tracks in a casual walk followed by a sprawl, deer fur in the snow, and faint...
The Hidden Prairie
“It’s close to noon, the sun is high in the sky. It’s hot, and the prairie looks largely devoid of wildlife. Coming in you did see a small group of...
River in the Sky
There is a river in the sky that washes up the center of the continent each spring and its current rushes and rolls with waves of wings.
A Sense of Place
Early on a spring morning, well after the dawn chorus of birds has pronounced the day’s arrival, we gather under the cottonwoods to prepare for daily bird banding. The sun...
Zapata's Orchestra
In southern Colorado, there are two canyons in the Sangre De Cristo mountains where the wind pushes sand beneath them in such an intense and persistent manner that great dunes...
The Role of Scales on Reptiles and Fish
In ancestral animals, such as fishes and reptiles, a robust and pervasive form of integument–scales–arose and has a variety of functions, including protection and locomotory assistance.
The Elusive Swift Fox: The Mystery of the Long Tailings
If you are ever lucky enough to spot a swift fox, don’t blink, as they will quickly vanish into the vast expanse of the prairie.
Chico Chicharras
Hear an electric buzzing alien shriek on the summer prairie? That’s the mating call of a Colorado cicada, the cactus dodger.
Birds of the San Luis Valley: When and Where to See Them
Visit the striking San Luis Valley. This Colorado locale has a suite of ecosystems and landscapes, making it a standout birding location.
Rodents on the Range: The Treasure House
Weaving among the shrubs and cacti, I came upon a very strange structure, something I had not seen before. I wondered: what animal built this curious house?
Rodents on the Range: The North American Porcupine
It is winter on the Chico Basin Ranch. Winter is the best time to find porcupines as the trees have […]
Never Not Birding
Are birds the most sung-about members of the animal kingdom? Based on the breadth and depth of our bird-inspired playlist, […]
A Timeless Pursuit
A lone hunter weaves his way through the sagebrush islands pockmarking the sand of the San Luis Valley. He left at daybreak, just as he has on countless autumn mornings...
Birding at the Chico with David Tønnessen
David Tønnessen has already made quite a name for himself in the Colorado birding community. He recorded the first sighting of a tropical king bird in the state of Colorado...
