Backyard birds in Security-Widefield, Colorado
Which birds visit Security-Widefield yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Security-Widefield's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 38.747°, -104.714°
- Population
- 32,882
- June 21 daylight
- 14 h 53 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 27 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:23 AM / 5:33 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 3 days earlier than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 3a–7b
Nesting timing in Security-Widefield
The state guides give nesting windows for Colorado as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 39.6°N). Security-Widefield is at 38.7°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 3 days earlier than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Security-Widefield goes from 9 h 27 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 14 h 53 min in June, a 5 h 26 min swing.
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window July–September
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window May–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
- House Finch — state window April–August
- Mourning Dove — state window March–September
- American Robin — state window April–July
- Dark-eyed Junco — state window May–July
Birds you can expect in Security-Widefield
Year-round residents (70)
Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Northern Flickers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Steller's Jays, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Canada Jays, Mountain Chickadees, Bushtits, Juniper Titmice, Pygmy Nuthatchs, Lesser Goldfinchs, Cassin's Finchs, Spotted Towhees, Canyon Towhees, Gambel's Quail, Mountain Bluebirds, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Curve-billed Thrashers, Bewick's Wrens, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wild Turkeys, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red Crossbills, Black-throated Sparrows, Pinyon Jays, Clark's Nutcrackers, Western Screech-Owls, Band-tailed Pigeons, Canada Gooses, Bald Eagles, Merlins, Peregrine Falcons, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Lewis's Woodpeckers, Black-backed Woodpeckers, American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Horned Larks, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finchs, Greater Roadrunners, Brewer's Blackbirds, Great-tailed Grackles, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (55)
House Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, Common Grackles, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Eastern Kingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Western Bluebirds, Say's Phoebes, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Violet-green Swallows, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Lazuli Buntings, Bullock's Orioles, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Pine Grosbeaks, Gray Catbirds, Western Tanagers, Lark Sparrows, Green-tailed Towhees, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Yellow-breasted Chats, Orange-crowned Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Least Flycatchers, Western Kingbirds, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, American Coots, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Burrowing Owls, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Bobolinks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds
Winter visitors (6)
American Tree Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, White-winged Crossbills, Bohemian Waxwings
Cold snaps alternate with sunny, dry thaws; heated baths are valuable because natural water freezes nightly.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Security-Widefield
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Security-Widefield, sunrise is around 6:23 AM in mid-April, 5:33 AM at the June solstice and 7:13 AM in late December (local time, America/Denver). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Security-Widefield yards
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Prolific seed heads for finches and sparrows.
Annual native sunflower — the original feeder seed.
Late nectar for insects and fall seed for sparrows.
Native bunchgrass; winter seed and ground cover for sparrows and juncos.
Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.
Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.
Berry-like cones feed bluebirds, solitaires and waxwings in winter.
Nearby cities in Colorado
- Cimarron Hills — 8 mi away, nesting about the same time as Security-Widefield
- Colorado Springs — 8 mi away, nesting about the same time as Security-Widefield
- Pueblo West — 27 mi away, nesting about the same time as Security-Widefield
- Pueblo — 35 mi away, nesting about the same time as Security-Widefield
- Cañon City — 35 mi away, nesting about the same time as Security-Widefield
- Castle Rock — 44 mi away, nesting about the same time as Security-Widefield
Frequently asked
What birds live in Security-Widefield all year?
Year-round residents across Colorado include Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, White-breasted Nuthatch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Security-Widefield.
When do birds start nesting in Security-Widefield?
Security-Widefield sits at a different latitude from Colorado's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 3 days earlier than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Security-Widefield?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Security-Widefield, sunrise is around 6:23 AM in mid-April and 5:33 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Colorado
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.