A Walk at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve

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We’ve walked at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve before, but not recently. It’s close to home… maybe a 10-minute ride, and admission is free. Covering ~80 acres with nine ponds and five miles of trails, it’s considered the ‘best place to birdwatch’ in the Las Vegas area. We visited again last weekend.

With 9 ponds and ~5 miles of paved and gravel trails, it’s a pleasant place to walk.

Tucked behind an industrial area, this is not exactly where you’d expect to find a bird preserve. Originally operated by Water Reclamation, the Preserve has been under the auspices of Henderson Parks and Recreation since 1998 and is manned primarily by volunteers. It’s an oasis in the middle of the city. An interesting tidbit: Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is the third largest body of water in southern Nevada, next to Lake Mead and Lake Las Vegas.

Because it’s located on the eastern edge of the Pacific Migratory Flyway, a major north–south flyway for migratory birds in the Americas that extends from Alaska to Patagonia, it is an important en route rest stop for migratory birds.  “Birds that are up in Alaska and in the north migrate down through here. Some of them come inland through here, and they’re heading down to places like Mexico or Central America, South America.” In addition to the migratory birds, several desert species are full-time residents. Over 270 bird species have been identified.

The preserve is on the far eastern edge of the Pacific flyway.

We didn’t arrive as early as we’d planned (what a surprise!) and thus missed seeing some of the early morning birds who hide out later in the day when it heats up. Still, walking the paved and gravel trails is pleasant. It’s a quiet and peaceful place. There’s no traffic noise. Rules forbid dogs, bikes and scooters from entering and running and loud noises are discouraged. ‘Cálmate’ as the Uruguayans like to say.

We use two free phone apps to make bird identifications: Seek by iNaturalist and eBird by Cornell Lab. Seek also identifies plants and other animals. Just snap a picture and you’ve got an instant identification.

Take a look at what we saw!

A few hints if you’re ever in the area and want to visit.

  • Go early while it’s cool, and the birds are out. Shoulder seasons are best viewing times.

  • Take water and wear a hat.

  • The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve operates with varying seasonal hours, open March through May from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, June through August from 6:00 AM to 12:00 PM, September through November from 6:00 Am to 2:00 PM and December through February from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with the last entry 30 minutes prior to closing. Check their website for up-to-date times and events.

  • Check-in is required at the office before entering the Preserve. Binoculars are available to borrow on request.