Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Wildlife

Bull Elk Walking in the Grasslands, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Elk | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, holds the tallest sand dunes in North America, backed by the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Grasslands, wetlands, creeks, forests and alpine tundra surround the dunefield, and each supports its own wildlife. Mule deer are the mammal visitors see most often, especially near the campground and visitor center, while elk and pronghorn graze the open grasslands. Ord’s kangaroo rats are the only mammals that can spend their whole lives in the main dunefield, getting the moisture they need from the seeds they bury in damp sand. Mountain lions are rarely seen, but their tracks often turn up along Medano and Sand Creeks, black bears forage near Mosca Creek, and bighorn sheep are most often spotted along the Medano Pass Primitive Road. About 2,000 bison also live inside the park boundary on land owned by The Nature Conservancy, which is not open to the public.

Higher up, American pikas and yellow-bellied marmots live on the alpine tundra of the national preserve, where brown-capped rosy-finches nest and white-tailed ptarmigans stay all year. Mountain bluebirds hunt insects along the entrance road, burrowing owls nest in the grasslands west of the dunefield, and golden eagles are seen more often than bald eagles. In midsummer, Great Plains toads crowd the wetlands and plains spadefoots breed in temporary pools near Medano Creek, while the mountain creeks are an important refuge for the native Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Keep reading to see featured photos of Great Sand Dunes’ wildlife and to learn more about wildlife photography.

Featured Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Wildlife Photographs

American Avocet Landing in a Wetland, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
American Avocet | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
American Pika on the Tundra, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
American Pika | Photo Credit: NPS
Black Bear, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Black Bear | Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Kelly vanDellen
Black-billed Magpie, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Black-billed Magpie | Photo Credit: Shutterstock / BlueBarronPhoto
Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Broad-tailed Hummingbird | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Bull Elk Walking in the Grasslands, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Elk | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Burrowing Owl, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Burrowing Owl | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Chipmunk, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Chipmunk | Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Alex Erwin
Great Horned Owl in a Cottonwood Tree, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Great Horned Owl | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Long-tailed Weasel in Winter White, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Long-tailed Weasel | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Mountain Bluebird in Front of the Dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Mountain Bluebird | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Mule Deer, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Mule Deer | Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Arina P Habich
Mule Deer, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Mule Deer | Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Kris Wiktor
Pronghorn in Morning Light, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Pronghorn | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep on the Tundra, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Bighorn Sheep | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
White-tailed Ptarmigan with Chicks, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
White-tailed Ptarmigan | Photo Credit: NPS
Yellow-bellied Marmot, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Yellow-bellied Marmot | Photo Credit: NPS

Have a National Park Wildlife photograph you’d like featured? Contact us today to learn more!

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Wildlife Photography Tips

Wildlife photography in the US National Parks offers a unique and enriching experience, as these protected areas are havens for diverse species and pristine natural landscapes. Capturing wildlife in such settings requires preparation and respect for both the environment and its inhabitants. Photographers should familiarize themselves with the specific animals and ecosystems of the park they are visiting, as each park hosts different species and behaviors. Early mornings and late afternoons, known as the golden hours, provide the best light and increased wildlife activity. Different seasons also offer different wildlife viewing opportunities. Patience and stillness are key, as the best moments often come to those who wait quietly.

If wildlife does present itself, always make sure to maintain a safe distance. Using a telephoto lens allows for close-up shots without intruding on the animals’ space. If you already own or want to own a professional grade mirrored camera like the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Full Frame Digital SLR, we recommend using a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens zoom lens for wildlife photography. If you have or are interested in a newer mirrorless model like the Canon EOS R5 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera, we recommend using a Canon RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM Black for long distance shots.

Not quite ready to invest in traditional professional-grade camera equipment but want to enhance the quality of your cell phone photographs? Consider using a Moment Tele 58mm Mobile Lens II for improved reach, and use a Moment camera case with a lens mount to attach it to your phone. Since cell phones generally cannot provide the same reach as a dedicated telephoto camera lens, never compensate by moving dangerously close to wildlife. As with any visit to a national park, it’s important to follow park regulations, practice “Leave No Trace” principles, and prioritize safety while photographing wildlife.

Want to take your wildlife photos further? Featured photographer Vella Torvik shares her field-tested advice on gear, camera settings, light, composition and safely approaching wildlife in our Wildlife Photography 101: Insider Tips From the Field masterclass.

Burrowing Owl, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers
Burrowing Owl | Photo Credit: NPS / Patrick Myers

Great Sand Dunes Wildlife Education and Resources

Want to learn more about Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the wildlife that inhabits it? Check out these guides & books:

Please note, by making purchases through our affiliate links, you are supporting our mission to celebrate and showcase our National Parks and the photographers who frequent them. As an Amazon Associate, National Park Photographer earns from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We appreciate your support.

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Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Species List

The wildlife at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is beautiful and diverse. There are a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish to view. Check out all the incredible species this park has to offer! Click on the links below to see the different animal species that inhabit Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve:

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Mammals

50 species
  • Abert’s Squirrel(Sciurus aberti)Abundance: Unknown
  • American Badger Photo post(Taxidea taxus)Abundance: UnknownNPS: badgers are found in the grasslands surrounding the dunes.
  • American Beaver(Castor canadensis)Abundance: Rare
  • American Black Bear Photo post(Ursus americanus)Abundance: Rare
  • American Pika(Ochotona princeps)Abundance: Rare
  • Big Brown Bat(Eptesicus fuscus)Abundance: Unknown
  • Bighorn Sheep Photo post(Ovis canadensis)Abundance: Rare
  • Bison Photo post(Bos bison)Abundance: UnknownNPS: about 2,000 bison are managed within park boundaries on The Nature Conservancy land, not open to the public.
  • Bushy-tailed Woodrat(Neotoma cinerea)Abundance: Rare
  • Chickaree(Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)Abundance: Rare
  • Colorado Chipmunk(Tamias quadrivittatus)Abundance: Rare
  • Coyote Photo post(Canis latrans)Abundance: Rare
  • Deer Mouse(Peromyscus maniculatus)Abundance: Rare
  • Desert Cottontail(Sylvilagus audubonii)Abundance: Rare
  • Elk Photo post(Cervus elaphus)Abundance: Rare
  • Ermine(Mustela erminea)Abundance: Rare
  • Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel Photo post(Spermophilus lateralis)Abundance: Rare
  • Gunnison’s Prairie Dog(Cynomys gunnisoni)Abundance: Rare
  • Hoary Bat(Lasiurus cinereus)Abundance: Unknown
  • Least Chipmunk(Tamias minimus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Long-eared Myotis(Myotis evotis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Long-legged Myotis(Myotis volans)Abundance: Rare
  • Long-tailed Vole(Microtus longicaudus)Abundance: Rare
  • Long-tailed Weasel(Mustela frenata)Abundance: Rare
  • Meadow Vole(Microtus pennsylvanicus)Abundance: Rare
  • Montane Shrew(Sorex monticolus)Abundance: Unknown
  • Mountain Lion Photo post(Felis concolor)Abundance: Rare
  • Mule Deer Photo post(Odocoileus hemionus)Abundance: Rare
  • Muskrat(Ondatra zibethicus)Abundance: Rare
  • North American Porcupine Photo post(Erethizon dorsatum)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Grasshopper Mouse(Onychomys leucogaster)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Pocket Gopher(Thomomys talpoides)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Rock Mouse(Peromyscus nasutus)Abundance: Rare
  • Nuttall’s Cottontail(Sylvilagus nuttallii)Abundance: Rare
  • Occult Myotis(Myotis occultus)Abundance: Unknown
  • Ord’s Kangaroo Rat(Dipodomys ordii)Abundance: Rare
  • Plains Pocket Mouse(Perognathus flavescens)Abundance: Rare
  • Pronghorn Photo post(Antilocapra americana)Abundance: Rare
  • Rock Ground Squirrel(Spermophilus variegatus)Abundance: Rare
  • Silky Pocket Mouse(Perognathus flavus)Abundance: Rare
  • Snowshoe Hare(Lepus americanus)Abundance: Rare
  • Southern Red-backed Vole(Clethrionomys gapperi)Abundance: Rare
  • Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel(Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)Abundance: Rare
  • Townsend’s Big-eared Bat(Corynorhinus townsendii)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Water Shrew(Sorex palustris)Abundance: Rare
  • Western Harvest Mouse(Reithrodontomys megalotis)Abundance: Rare
  • Western Jumping Mouse(Zapus princeps)Abundance: Rare
  • Western Small-footed Bat(Myotis ciliolabrum)Abundance: Rare
  • White-tailed Jackrabbit(Lepus townsendii)Abundance: Rare
  • Yellow-bellied Marmot(Marmota flaviventris)Abundance: Uncommon

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Birds

193 species
  • American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana)Abundance: Rare
  • American Bittern(Botaurus lentiginosus)Abundance: Rare
  • American Coot(Fulica americana)Abundance: Uncommon
  • American Crow(Corvus brachyrhynchos)Abundance: Rare
  • American Dipper(Cinclus mexicanus)Abundance: Rare
  • American Goldfinch(Carduelis tristis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • American Kestrel(Falco sparverius)Abundance: Uncommon
  • American Pipit(Anthus rubescens)Abundance: Uncommon
  • American Robin Photo post(Turdus migratorius)Abundance: Common
  • American Three-toed Woodpecker(Picoides tridactylus)Abundance: Rare
  • American Tree Sparrow(Spizella arborea)Abundance: Rare
  • Ash-throated Flycatcher(Myiarchus cinerascens)Abundance: Rare
  • Bald Eagle Photo post(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Band-tailed Pigeon(Columba fasciata)Abundance: Rare
  • Bank Swallow(Riparia riparia)Abundance: Rare
  • Barn Swallow(Hirundo rustica)Abundance: Rare
  • Belted Kingfisher(Ceryle alcyon)Abundance: Rare
  • Black Rosy-finch(Leucosticte atrata)Abundance: Rare
  • Black Swift(Cypseloides niger)Abundance: Rare
  • Black-and-white Warbler(Mniotilta varia)Abundance: Occasional
  • Black-billed Magpie(Pica pica)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Black-capped Chickadee(Poecile atricapillus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Black-chinned Hummingbird(Archilochus alexandri)Abundance: Rare
  • Black-crowned Night Heron(Nycticorax nycticorax)Abundance: Rare
  • Black-headed Grosbeak(Pheucticus melanocephalus)Abundance: Rare
  • Black-throated Gray Warbler(Dendroica nigrescens)Abundance: Rare
  • Blue Grosbeak(Guiraca caerulea)Abundance: Rare
  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher(Polioptila caerulea)Abundance: Rare
  • Bohemian Waxwing(Bombycilla garrulus)Abundance: Occasional
  • Brewer’s Blackbird(Euphagus cyanocephalus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Brewer’s Sparrow(Spizella breweri)Abundance: Common
  • Broad-tailed Hummingbird(Selasphorus platycercus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Brown Creeper(Certhia americana)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Brown Thrasher(Toxostoma rufum)Abundance: Occasional
  • Brown Towhee(Pipilo fuscus)Abundance: Occasional
  • Brown-capped Rosy-finch(Leucosticte australis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Brown-headed Cowbird(Molothrus ater)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Bufflehead(Bucephala albeola)Abundance: Rare
  • Bullock’s Oriole(Icterus bullockii)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Burrowing Owl(Athene cunicularia)Abundance: Rare
  • Bushtit(Psaltriparus minimus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • California Gull(Larus californicus)Abundance: Rare
  • Canada Goose(Branta canadensis)Abundance: Common
  • Canvasback(Aythya valisineria)Abundance: Rare
  • Canyon Wren(Catherpes mexicanus)Abundance: Rare
  • Cassin’s Finch(Carpodacus cassinii)Abundance: Rare
  • Cassin’s Kingbird(Tyrannus vociferans)Abundance: Occasional
  • Cedar Waxwing(Bombycilla cedrorum)Abundance: Rare
  • Chipping Sparrow(Spizella passerina)Abundance: Common
  • Cinnamon Teal(Anas cyanoptera)Abundance: Rare
  • Clark’s Nutcracker(Nucifraga columbiana)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Cliff Swallow(Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)Abundance: Rare
  • Common Goldeneye(Bucephala clangula)Abundance: Rare
  • Common Grackle(Quiscalus quiscula)Abundance: Rare
  • Common Merganser(Mergus merganser)Abundance: Rare
  • Common Nighthawk(Chordeiles minor)Abundance: Common
  • Common Poorwill(Phalaenoptilus nuttallii)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Common Raven(Corvus corax)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Common Redpoll(Carduelis flammea)Abundance: Rare
  • Common Snipe(Gallinago gallinago)Abundance: Rare
  • Common Yellowthroat(Geothlypis trichas)Abundance: Rare
  • Cooper’s Hawk(Accipiter cooperii)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Cordilleran Flycatcher(Empidonax occidentalis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Dark-eyed Junco(Junco hyemalis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Downy Woodpecker(Picoides pubescens)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Dusky Flycatcher(Empidonax oberholseri)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Dusky Grouse(Dendragapus obscurus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Eared Grebe(Podiceps nigricollis)Abundance: Rare
  • European Starling(Sturnus vulgaris)Abundance: RareNon-native
  • Evening Grosbeak(Coccothraustes vespertinus)Abundance: Rare
  • Ferruginous Hawk(Buteo regalis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Flammulated Owl(Otus flammeolus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Fox Sparrow(Passerella iliaca)Abundance: Rare
  • Gadwall(Anas strepera)Abundance: Rare
  • Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Golden Eagle(Aquila chrysaetos)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet(Regulus satrapa)Abundance: Rare
  • Grace’s Warbler(Dendroica graciae)Abundance: Occasional
  • Gray Catbird(Dumetella carolinensis)Abundance: Rare
  • Gray Flycatcher(Empidonax wrightii)Abundance: Rare
  • Gray Jay(Perisoreus canadensis)Abundance: Rare
  • Gray-crowned Rosy-finch(Leucosticte tephrocotis)Abundance: Rare
  • Great Blue Heron(Ardea herodias)Abundance: Rare
  • Great Horned Owl(Bubo virginianus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Green-tailed Towhee(Pipilo chlorurus)Abundance: Common
  • Green-winged Teal(Anas crecca)Abundance: Rare
  • Hairy Woodpecker(Picoides villosus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Hammond’s Flycatcher(Empidonax hammondii)Abundance: Rare
  • Harris’s Sparrow(Zonotrichia querula)Abundance: Rare
  • Hermit Thrush(Catharus guttatus)Abundance: Common
  • Hooded Warbler(Wilsonia citrina)Abundance: Occasional
  • Horned Lark(Eremophila alpestris)Abundance: Common
  • House Finch(Carpodacus mexicanus)Abundance: Rare
  • House Sparrow(Passer domesticus)Abundance: RareNon-native
  • House Wren(Troglodytes aedon)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Indigo Bunting(Passerina cyanea)Abundance: Rare
  • Juniper Titmouse(Baeolophus ridgwayi)Abundance: Rare
  • Killdeer(Charadrius vociferus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Lark Bunting(Calamospiza melanocorys)Abundance: Rare
  • Lazuli Bunting(Passerina amoena)Abundance: Rare
  • Lesser Goldfinch(Carduelis psaltria)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Lesser Scaup(Aythya affinis)Abundance: Rare
  • Lesser Yellowlegs(Tringa flavipes)Abundance: Rare
  • Lewis’s Woodpecker(Melanerpes lewis)Abundance: Rare
  • Lincoln’s Sparrow(Melospiza lincolnii)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Loggerhead Shrike(Lanius ludovicianus)Abundance: Rare
  • Long-billed Curlew(Numenius americanus)Abundance: Rare
  • Long-eared Owl(Asio otus)Abundance: Rare
  • MacGillivray’s Warbler(Oporornis tolmiei)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Mallard(Anas platyrhynchos)Abundance: Common
  • Marsh Wren(Cistothorus palustris)Abundance: Rare
  • Merlin(Falco columbarius)Abundance: Rare
  • Mountain Bluebird(Sialia currucoides)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Mountain Chickadee(Poecile gambeli)Abundance: Common
  • Mourning Dove(Zenaida macroura)Abundance: Common
  • Northern Cardinal(Cardinalis cardinalis)Abundance: Occasional
  • Northern Flicker(Colaptes auratus)Abundance: Common
  • Northern Goshawk(Accipiter gentilis)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Harrier(Circus cyaneus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Northern Mockingbird(Mimus polyglottos)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Pintail(Anas acuta)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Pygmy Owl(Glaucidium gnoma)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow(Stelgidopteryx serripennis)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Saw-whet Owl(Aegolius acadicus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Northern Shoveler(Anas clypeata)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Shrike(Lanius excubitor)Abundance: Rare
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher(Contopus cooperi)Abundance: Rare
  • Orange-crowned Warbler(Vermivora celata)Abundance: Rare
  • Osprey(Pandion haliaetus)Abundance: Rare
  • Peregrine Falcon(Falco peregrinus)Abundance: Rare
  • Pied-billed Grebe(Podilymbus podiceps)Abundance: Rare
  • Pine Grosbeak(Pinicola enucleator)Abundance: Rare
  • Pine Siskin(Carduelis pinus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Pinyon Jay(Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Plumbeous Vireo(Vireo plumbeus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Prairie Falcon(Falco mexicanus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Pygmy Nuthatch(Sitta pygmaea)Abundance: Common
  • Red Crossbill(Loxia curvirostra)Abundance: Rare
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch(Sitta canadensis)Abundance: Common
  • Red-naped Sapsucker(Sphyrapicus nuchalis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Red-tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Red-winged Blackbird(Agelaius phoeniceus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Redhead(Aythya americana)Abundance: Rare
  • Ring-billed Gull(Larus delawarensis)Abundance: Rare
  • Rock Wren(Salpinctes obsoletus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak(Pheucticus ludovicianus)Abundance: Rare
  • Rough-legged Hawk(Buteo lagopus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet(Regulus calendula)Abundance: Common
  • Ruddy Duck(Oxyura jamaicensis)Abundance: Rare
  • Rufous Hummingbird(Selasphorus rufus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Sage Sparrow(Amphispiza belli)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus)Abundance: Common
  • Savannah Sparrow(Passerculus sandwichensis)Abundance: Rare
  • Say’s Phoebe(Sayornis saya)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk(Accipiter striatus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Short-eared Owl(Asio flammeus)Abundance: Rare
  • Snowy Egret(Egretta thula)Abundance: Rare
  • Song Sparrow(Melospiza melodia)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Spotted Sandpiper(Actitis macularia)Abundance: Rare
  • Spotted Towhee(Pipilo maculatus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Steller’s Jay Photo post(Cyanocitta stelleri)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Swainson’s Hawk(Buteo swainsoni)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Swainson’s Thrush(Catharus ustulatus)Abundance: Rare
  • Townsend’s Solitaire(Myadestes townsendi)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Townsend’s Warbler(Dendroica townsendi)Abundance: Rare
  • Tree Swallow(Tachycineta bicolor)Abundance: Rare
  • Turkey Vulture(Cathartes aura)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Veery(Catharus fuscescens)Abundance: Occasional
  • Vesper Sparrow(Pooecetes gramineus)Abundance: Common
  • Violet-green Swallow(Tachycineta thalassina)Abundance: Common
  • Virginia’s Warbler(Vermivora virginiae)Abundance: Rare
  • Warbling Vireo(Vireo gilvus)Abundance: Common
  • Western Bluebird(Sialia mexicana)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Western Kingbird(Tyrannus verticalis)Abundance: Rare
  • Western Meadowlark(Sturnella neglecta)Abundance: Common
  • Western Screech-owl(Otus kennicottii)Abundance: Occasional
  • Western Scrub-jay(Aphelocoma californica)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Western Tanager(Piranga ludoviciana)Abundance: Common
  • Western Wood-pewee(Contopus sordidulus)Abundance: Common
  • White-breasted Nuthatch(Sitta carolinensis)Abundance: Common
  • White-crowned Sparrow(Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha)Abundance: Uncommon
  • White-faced Ibis(Plegadis chihi)Abundance: Rare
  • White-tailed Ptarmigan(Lagopus leucurus)Abundance: Rare
  • White-throated Sparrow(Zonotrichia albicollis)Abundance: Rare
  • White-throated Swift(Aeronautes saxatalis)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Wild Turkey(Meleagris gallopavo)Abundance: Occasional
  • Williamson’s Sapsucker(Sphyrapicus thyroideus)Abundance: Rare
  • Wilson’s Phalarope(Phalaropus tricolor)Abundance: Rare
  • Wilson’s Warbler(Wilsonia pusilla)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Yellow Warbler(Dendroica petechia)Abundance: Common
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker(Sphyrapicus varius)Abundance: Occasional
  • Yellow-headed Blackbird(Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler(Dendroica coronata auduboni)Abundance: Common

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Reptiles

5 species
  • Bullsnake(Pituophis catenifer)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Greater Short-horned Lizard(Phrynosoma hernandesi)Abundance: Common
  • Plateau Lizard(Sceloporus undulatus)Abundance: Common
  • Variable Skink(Eumeces multivirgatus epipleurotus)Abundance: Uncommon
  • Western Terrestrial Garter Snake(Thamnophis elegans)Abundance: Rare

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Amphibians

6 species
  • Great Plains Toad(Bufo cognatus)Abundance: Rare
  • Northern Leopard Frog(Rana pipiens)Abundance: Rare
  • Plains Spadefoot(Spea bombifrons)Abundance: Common
  • Tiger Salamander(Ambystoma tigrinum)Abundance: Common
  • Western Chorus Frog(Pseudacris triseriata)Abundance: Common
  • Woodhouse’s Toad(Bufo woodhousii)Abundance: Common

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Fish

3 species
  • Brook Trout(Salvelinus fontinalis)Abundance: CommonNon-native
  • Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout(Oncorhynchus clarkii)Abundance: CommonNon-native
  • Rio Grande Sucker(Catostomus plebeius)Abundance: Rare

Note:  The wildlife species included in the lists above have been confirmed with the National Park Service to be present in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Other species may exist in the park that are currently under review or not yet known.

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