WSP11446

• File Number: 8220.112.I
• Description: Dallas Creek Participating Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 10/1/1979
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Endangered Species Assessment: Dallas Creek Project Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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L RAPTORS

Raptors, or birds of prey, found in the study area are golden eagles,

bald eagles, owls, hawks, falcons and vultures. Some are migrants and

are present in the area only at certain times of the year. The upper

Uncompahgre Valleys o!!ers a wide diversity of vegetative and habitat

types ideal for hunting and nes ting raptors.

Information on raptor abundance, distribution and seaSon of use was

collected throughout the study but intensive surveys were conducted during

the spring of 1975 in conjunction with counts of nongame birds. This

data is shown in .Table 17 in the nongame bird section. The seasonal

occurrence, resident status and assodation with Dallas Creek project

: features for raptors is given in Table 20.

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,1. 'BALD EAGLE

!laId eagles (Haliaeetus 1eucocepha1us) are found in the study area from ~
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November through April. They were normally observed in the vegetative

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types which support deer and elk during the winter. The most important

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hunting areas were along the Uncompahgre River from Colona to Ridgway,

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the lower portions of Billy Creek and Cow Creek and in Pleasant yalley.

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Major sources of food available in these areas are fish, waterfowl, and

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dead deer. Bald eag1..,s normally use the same roosting sites every year

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and these were located along the Uncompahgre River below Chaffee Gulch

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and below the ~thridge Ranch on Cow Creek. Only a few bald eagles are

present in the study area.

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