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Birding beyond the KC area |
| Birding beyond the Kansas City area | ||||||
| There are many opportunities for weekend trips or longer vacations for birding beyond the Kansas City area. Here are a few ideas for some really interesting birding adventures. | ||||||
| Areas for one- or two-day trips | ||||||
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Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge - 30 mi. N of St. Joseph, Mo., just off I-29 [website] • 7350 acres; visitor center; 10 mile nature drive; 3 hiking trails 0.5 to 1.5 miles long • Hosts 301 bird species, 33 mammal species, and 35 reptile and amphibian species • Wintering area for Bald Eagles and Snow Geese |
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Quivira National Wildlife Refuge & Cheyenne Bottoms - near Great Bend, Ks. [website] • More than 60,000 acres of lowland; visitor center; nature drives; short hiking trails • More than 320 bird species including whooping cranes in fall and early spring • Largest marsh in US interior; 45% of North American shorebirds stop here in spring |
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Konza Prairie Preserve - about 6 miles south of Manhattan, Ks. [website] • 8600 acre native tallgrass prairie; hiking trails from 2 to 14 miles • More than 200 species of birds including Greater Prairie Chickens |
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| Areas for a week's vacation or longer | ||||||
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Rio Grand Valley in Texas [website] • Santa Ana NWR, Sabal Palm Grove Wildlife Sanctuary, Laguna Atascosa NWR; Bentsen-Rio Grand Valley State Park, South Padre Island boardwalk • About 400 bird species: Green Jay, Altamira Oriole, Chacalaca, many hummingbirds |
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| Southeast Arizona [website] • Madera, Miller, Ramsey Canyons, Patagonia/Sonoita Creek Sanctuary, others • About 400 bird species: Vermillion Flycatcher, many hummingbirds, Painted Redstart |
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| Costa Rica [website] • Monteverde Cloud Forest, La Selva Biological Station, Cerro de la Muerte, others • More than 874 bird species: quetzals, motmots, euphonias, manakins, oropendolas |
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Cape May, N.J. [website] • Major migratory route for over 300 species (sea/shore birds and songbirds) in spring |
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Florida (Merritt Island NWR, Sanibel Island, Guana River, others) [website] • About 485 bird species: herons, Wood Stork, parakeets, woodpeckers, Black Skimmer |
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Southwestern Louisiana (Avery Island, Cameron Parish) [website] • Great region to see herons, egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, ibis, Purple Gallinule |
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