Wildlife and Wildflowers

Coyotes live throughout Colorado including in Roxborough State Park. In urban settings they may lose their fear of people and can become a threat to pets. They live in an organized social system, and mate in the winter. Coyotes deliver 4-10 pups in the spring. Dens are only used when they are raising their young, when the female develops or finds a suitible den. Coyotes are in the same family as foxes, wolves, and dogs and are often mistaken for shepherd dogs. Their habitat is shrubbery and wooded areas, parks, and golf courses where they find food, water, and shelter. Coyotes watch human activity and may sometimes follow a person because the are curious. Never approach coyotes or wildlife, keep trash and pet food indoors and haze them if they approach so they are uncomfortable around humans.

Lupines thrive in the summertime! Their palm-shaped leaves are very distinctive with 5-7 leaflets joined to form a hand shape. This makes them very easy to identify, even before their flowers bloom. Lupine form large clumps up to 3 feet tall. The butterfly flower is mostly purple, but may have a white keel, the curved lower petals. The species name refers to the silvery color resulting from many hairs on the stem and leaves. Lupine are abundant in meadows throughout the park, but can also be found in more open oak woods. Lupines often bloom in Spring and late Summer.

This bright gold flower in the pea family grows in warm, dry meadows and under Gambel Oaks in the spring. Its leaves are distinctive with leaflets of three, like many peas. A cluster of bright yellow flowers forms a conical spike, or raceme. The flowers are typical of peas, with five petals– two wings on either side of a curved keel, and a banner petal on top. The seeds form in a curved pod. Thermopsis montana is a species of Golden Banner that grows in cooler, higher elevations of the park. Golden Banner are likely to bloom in the Spring.

Clusters of bright white flowers with pink lines cover the Gambel Oak understory in early spring. A true harbinger of the new season! Flowers have five rounded petals. Look closely and you’ll see that the pollen on the anthers is pink. The leaves of plants in this unusual family are succulent– thick and fleshy. The leaves are edible and were eaten by miners as a substitute for lettuce. The roots are starchy and also edible. A rare species related to Spring Beauty is also found in the Park—Redstem Spring Beauty. It has rounder leaves and tiny flowers and is only found in a few areas in the state. Spring Beauty blooms in the early Spring.

Mountain Mahogany is a common shrub in the foothills where its scraggly form is familiar to hikers. It grows to become a roundish 8’ plant. In spring its trumpet shaped blossoms cover the plant briefly. Soon, though, its characteristic curved, feathery seeds appear, giving the plant a silvery look. The seeds straighten out when they are wet and curve again when they dry. This allows them to burrow into the ground to germinate. Deer and elk enjoy browsing on the twigs.

This most common oak tree in Colorado dominates Roxborough State Park. Providing cover for many species of birds and mammals, these oaks form dense thickets along outcrops in the interior of the park. Gambel Oaks spread by rhizomes and have specialized root structures called lignotubers which can sprout after a fire. The leaves are leathery, so when they fall they form a thick mat. Not only does this break down into soil nutrients, the leaves shade the soil, holding in moisture. The acorns formed on the trees are an important food for bears, deer, and small mammals. Some years the trees yield few acorns, but in “mast” years conditions are just right for an abundant crop.

The earliest blooming tree in the Park, wild plums flower before their leaves open. Flat-topped clusters of white blossoms scent the air with their sweet fragrance. These small trees have scaly grey bark and often have a crooked trunk and can grow to about 30’ in height. Through the summer small pinkish plums develop. The fruit is about one inch in diameter and are edible or can be made into jam. The fruit are often infected with a fungus and don’t develop to full size. The leaves turn brilliant orange to red in the fall.

Chokecherries are short (up to 20’) trees which are covered with long clusters (racemes) of white flowers to brighten the spring scene. Each small white flower is a miniature rose, with five petals and many yellow stamens at the center. The flowers bud out at the same time as leaves, as opposed to plums. Chokecherries can form dense thickets because their roots spread underground and send up new shoots. The cherries develop through the summer into clusters of deep blue fruit. They are quite sour, so cooking requires lots of sugar! Chokecherry typically blooms in the Spring.

The Golden Eagle is named for the golden feathers on the back of its head and neck on this otherwise dark brown very large bird and have a wind span of 6 to 7 feet. When it is soaring overhead the wing tip feathers separate so that they appear rather like fingers. They will usually be solitary or in pairs. They are found in North America, Europe and Asia. In the United States, they are found mostly in the western states where they tend to nest on cliffs. However, they may also nest in trees, on the ground, or on structures. They build their nests, which are around 5 to 6 feet wide, using sticks and vegetation. Between 1 and 3 eggs will be laid. Golden Eagles usually eat a large variety of small to medium-sized mammals and birds but can take larger prey. They also sometimes eat fish.

The Red-tailed Hawk is the most common hawk in North America, and they are very plentiful at Roxborough State Park. Their wings are broad with a dark bar on the leading edge. The tail is short and wide and in adults, red in color. There are usually dark streaks across the belly called a “belly band” and a “V” shape on the back formed by lighter colored feathers. The plumage is quite variable ranging from very light to very dark. Their nests are usually built in trees, on a cliff ledge, or a man-made structure, and are made of sticks lined with other vegetation. There will be 1 to 5 eggs. The mating pair will usually stay together for a lifetime. They mostly eat small mammals, but also birds, snakes, and carrion. When a bald eagle is shown flying in Hollywood movies, the spirited call of the Red-Tailed Hawk is often used in place of the meek call of the eagle.

The Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay is frequently seen in Roxborough State Park perching on top of Gambel Oak. Look for a blue and gray bird with a long tail. They fly low, from tree to tree, with long glides and stiff wingbeats. This 11” bird is the same size as a Blue Jay and a Steller’s Jay but doesn’t have a crested head. They eat acorns from the Gambel Oak (very plentiful in the park) and are known to cache acorns, burying them for future meals. Woodhouse’s Scrub Jays have a harsh, angry-sounding, nasal call. The males are super helpful dads – they feed the female before and during incubation and stick around to help feed the hatchlings. They are year-round residents. In warmer months they are slender and sleek but might look rounder in winter from puffing up their feathers to stay warm.

The Spotted Towhee is a bird that you are very likely to both hear and see at Roxborough State Park. This large sparrow, a bit smaller than a robin, has a loud, distinctive song, which males sing incessantly from treetops in spring during mating season. Let your ears direct you where to look – you’ll see his black head, red eye, black wings with white spots, rusty red sides and long, black tail. They have a beautiful song, and a call that sounds like a meowing cat. You may be walking along the trails and hear something rustling in the leaves and think – rattlesnake! – but most likely, it’s a Spotted Towhee scratching for seeds and insects in the leaf litter under the Scrub Oak and Chokecherry. You may also see Spotted Towhees in your backyard – they will come to bird feeders, but prefer to eat on the ground. Some are year-round residents, and some migrate.

The Peregrine Falcon, considered the fastest organism in the world, is a large falcon that has a helmeted-looking dark head, white breast, horizontally barred belly and flanks, a gray back, and long pointed wings which nearly reach the tip of the tail when perched.The female is browner. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. The use of DDT in the 1960s resulted in the Peregrine Falcon being put on the Endangered Species List. After the banning of such pesticides, it was removed from the list in 1999 and are now thriving. Cliffs, skyscrapers or other man-made structures are used as nest sites. They do not build nests but scrape the nest area to create a depression where they lay their 2 to 5 eggs. Peregrine Falcons prey on birds especially shore birds or ducks or in cities, pigeons. They will dive on them and can reach speeds over 240 mph. They may also eat large insects and small mammals

The American Kestrel is our smallest falcon, about the size of a mourning dove, with a bigger head and a wider tail. You might see one perched on a fencepost or utility line along roadways in rural, open, grassy areas. It is watching for prey, hunting small mammals and insects. American Kestrels not only hunt while perched, but they can also hunt while hovering in the air, facing the wind, keeping their head still, and maneuvering their wings and tail to stay in place. Then lightning fast, they drop straight down to catch their prey. American Kestrels have a cool way of finding prey: because they see ultraviolet (UV) light, they see urine trails (which reflect UV light), of small mammals like mice and voles. Those urine trails might lead to dinner! American Kestrels are cavity nesters, using woodpecker holes in trees, or nest boxes. Some are year-round residents, and some migrate.