Birds & Science >
Colorado IBAs
Unaweep Seep Natural Area
Mesa County
Size: 80 acres
Elevation: 5720 - 6160 feet
Habitats: Lowland riparian, wetlands, mountain shrubland, pinyon/juniper, open water, sagebrush shrubland
Ownership: Federal (Bureau of Land Management)
Land Use:
Primary – nature and wildlife conservation
Secondary – hunting/fishing, recreation/tourism, livestock, water supply, utility/right-of-way, research
IBA Criteria: 3, 4 (landbirds)
Site description
Location:
Unaweep Seep Natural Area is found 8 miles northeast of the town of Gateway, in west-central Colorado.
Vegetative/natural features:
The site is located in the bottom of Unaweep Canyon and contains 24 hillside streams which create a mosaic of wet meadows, hummocks, marsh, willow and wild rose/skunkbrush thickets, cottonwood and boxelder stands. The hillside seeps support a rare assembly of plants, including Indian grass, switchgrass, panic manna grass, Joe-pye weed and giant helleborine orchid.
Ornithological Importance
A 1983-84 survey on the BLM in west-central Colorado found this site to be the richest landbird site in the 24 vegetation types sampled across 1.3 million acres of public land. The survey showed a density of 838 birds or territories per 100 hectares.
Breeding species:
|
Average #
|
Maximum #
|
Cooper’s Hawk
|
1 pair
|
4
|
Black-chinned Hummingbird
|
5 pairs
|
20
|
Western Wood-Pewee
|
4 pairs
|
16
|
Warbling Vireo
|
20 pairs
|
70
|
Plumbeous Vireo
|
5 pairs
|
17
|
American Dipper
|
1 pair
|
8
|
Yellow Warbler
|
40 pairs
|
200
|
Yellow-breasted Chat
|
10 pairs
|
50
|
Black-headed Grosbeak
|
3 pairs
|
12
|
Lazuli Bunting
|
20 pairs
|
80
|
Lesser Goldfinch
|
8 pairs
|
50
|
American Goldfinch
|
2 pairs
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
Migrant species:
|
Average #
|
Maximum #
|
Southwestern Willow Flycatcher
|
1
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
Wintering species:
|
Average #
|
Maximum #
|
Bald Eagle
|
2
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
Conservation/Management Issues
Minor threats:
- invasive/non-native plants (e.g., common burdock);
- cowbird parasitism;
- pollution from pastures upstream.
Potential threats:
- disturbance to birds from increasing recreation visits.
Management details:
The site is a state natural area and a Bureau of Land Management Research Natural Area. Most of the site is within the BLM’s "The Palisade Wilderness Study Area." Land managers use livestock grazing and prescribed fire to help maintain the site’s rare communities.
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