March 2025 Field Trips

Questions and suggestions are welcome! Email the field trip committee chair at fcasfieldtrips@gmail.com

April 12, Saturday,
Fossile Creek Reservoir
Learn More

April 20, Sunday,
Riverbend Ponds, LGBTQIA+ Community and Allies
Learn More

April 26, Saturday,
Photography Walk at Riverbend Ponds
Learn More

April 27, Sunday
Fossil Creek Reservoir; Raptors and Human Interactions: Balancing Coexistence;
Learn More

May 26, Friday
Dixon Reservoir and Maxwell Nature Areas
Learn More

The New, The Noteworthy & Upcoming Events

  • Event April 2025

    April Event:
    “The Hows and Whys of Bird Colors”

    Thursday, April 10th, 2025

    Learn how birds' often brilliant plumage isn't just beautiful but also serves important utilitarian purposes.
    Learn more here.

  • Event February 2024

    YouTube recording Ft Collins Audubon Meeting 2/13/2025 Kate Parkins: “Clear Solutions: Preventing Bird-Window Collisions”

    Kate Parkins - February 13th, 2024

    Kate Parkins conducted an informative presentation on the “Clear Solutions: Preventing Bird-Window Collisions” Recorded February 13th, 2025. Visit the event page.

    Watch Now | Previous Recordings

  • logo'd apparel

    FCAS Apparel

    Don't venture out on another fieldtrip without one of our shirts, caps or other items with our beautiful ptarmigans logo on them. Find out more here.

  • photo gallery

    Photo Gallery

    The photo gallery needs your bird pictures! Please submit your favorite photos for inclusion. Find out more here.

  • Education Grant

    Teachers, and students! The Fort Collins Audubon Society has an exciting opportunity for you to learn more about conservation. Apply for a $500.00 Alex Cringan Memorial Grant and use the funds to develop a project, take a workshop, enroll in an online class, or research a topic of interest to you! Now is a great time to learn more about birds and connect with nature! Click here for an application.

    The Alex Cringan Memorial Grant, sponsored by FCAS, provides funds to raise environmental awareness for future generations. Dr. Alex Cringan was a Colorado State University Professor of Wildlife Biology, a founding member and past president of the Fort Collins Audubon Society, a frequent field trip leader, and a friend and role model for many FCAS members. To honor his life and promote environmental education, FCAS created the Alex Cringan Grant to support educators and students to enhance their skills and share their knowledge with others.

    Members: you can donate directly to this grant by adding a donation when you renew your membership.

  • FCAS Welcomes New and Renewing Members

    • Jan Allen
    • Susan Atkinson
    • Diane Barrett
    • Kerstin Braun
    • Morris Clark
    • Catherine Curtis
    • James DeMartini
    • Brad Dobson
    • Danny Feig-Sandoval
    • Neal Fuller
    • Carla Johns
    • Barbara A. Jones
    • Kirvin Knox
    • Michael MacDonald
    • Barbara Maynard
    • Michelle McKim
    • Kathleen Carty Mullen
    • Barbara Patterson
    • Laurie Sada
    • Jeff Stewart
    • Guy Turenne
    • Ryan Twedt
    • Robert Umbreit
    • Trudy Verser
    • Joseph Visk
    • Dalia Zygas

    Thank you for your membership! Your support makes our programs and conservation efforts possible and helps us achieve our mission of connecting people to the natural world.


    FCAS welcomes new National Audubon Society members by sending one complimentary copy of our newsletter. Join us at our monthly programs on the second Thursday of the month. National dues do not cover the cost of printing and mailing the newsletter, so if you'd like to keep receiving the Ptarmigan, please support your local chapter and subscribe.

President's Corner

Rolling Out Our New Name

by John Shenot

I want to update everyone on three of the most important things we've done since changing our name to Northern Colorado Bird Alliance in February.

First, this newsletter now uses our new name. For perhaps a year, we will continue to note on the newsletter, the website, and in other appropriate places that Northern Colorado Bird Alliance was formerly Fort Collins Audubon Society. But in a year or so, we will drop that name completely.

Second, we have changed the name on our bank account. This means we can no longer cash checks made out to Fort Collins Audubon Society or FCAS. If you are renewing your membership or donating, please make checks out to Northern Colorado Bird Alliance. Otherwise, we will have to return your check uncashed and ask you to send a new one. (By the way, our mailing address has not changed except that it, too, is under the new name. We are told that mail addressed to FCAS will still be delivered for some time, but it's best to use the new name!)

Third, we have registered two new internet domain names, nocobirdalliance.org and northerncoloradobirdalliance.org. We intend to use the former and shorter version primarily, but registering both names prevents anyone else from using the latter/longer version. If you type either of these names into a web browser, you will go to our website. If you type the old domain name, fortcollinsaudubon.org, you will still get to our website for some time, but eventually that address will no longer work. So, we advise you to start using nocobirdalliance.org right away.

Big things are still to come: We will be changing our social media accounts to acknowledge our new name, and we also plan to revamp our website. (Some of this may have already happened between the time I wrote this ar-ticle and when you are reading it.) The Board is also discussing whether to create organizational email addresses, which would entail an ongoing cost, but would allow our volunteers to stop using their personal email addresses for chapter business.

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Find FCAS on Facebook for Field Trip Information

FCAS has a Facebook page where we post announcements about upcoming field trips, last minute changes to scheduled trips, and highlights of most of our outings. Just click on the �Like" button in the plugin to Like our page! Our announcements should then appear on your wall. You can also click on "Fort Collins Audubon Society" to be taken directly to the Facebook page. Note: All field trips are also announced in the Ptarmigan and on our website.


Find FCAS on YouTube for Previous Zoom Presentations

YouTube logo

Did you miss the monthly live chapter Zoom presentation? The chapter has recently created a YouTube channel to provide an easily accessible archive of our monthly chapter Zoom meetings. Be sure to Like and Subscribe!


Birding Checklists

The Chapter has prepared a number of birding checklist to aid you when birding.

Find them here: FCAS Birding Checklists

Bird Rescue and Rehabilitation

Trying to help a sick or injured bird? These resources are ready to help!

FCAS Mission Statement

  • To promote the appreciation, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, through education, participation, stewardship, and advocacy.

Fort Collins Audubon Society

Serving Larimer County, Colorado, and Surrounding Areas.

The Fort Collins Audubon Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to nature appreciation, environmental education, and conservation activities.