Birding

There are more than 230 known bird species in Capitol Reef National Park. Many pass through while migrating, and others live in the park year-round. Some of the best spots for birdwatching in the Fruita area include the Fremont River Trail that passes by the campground and orchards, the trees around the Ripple Rock Nature Center, and the picnic area and the riparian vegetation along Sulphur Creek. Visitors to the northern and southern sections of the park can see birds in other vegetation types including desert grasslands, desert shrub lands, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. Some of the most common birds in the park include the common raven, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, Mexican spotted owl, bullock's oriole, canyon wren, rock wren, pinyon jay and chukar, which is native to the Middle East and Southern Asia, but was introduced as a game bird to the western United States in the 1950s.