Past Conventions
CFO Conventions have occurred since 1963 and are located throughout the state.
Grand Junction 2025
Dates: June 5-8, 2025
Venue: Hilton Doubletree Hotel
Keynote Address: Amy Seglund, CPW; An Unplanned Journey with Birds
eBird Trip Report: 183 species, 276 checklists
Lamar 2024
Dates: May 2-5, 2024
Venue: Historic Cow Palace
Keynote Address: Dallas May, May Ranch & Johnathan Reitz, CPW; Ranch Management while Maintaining a Sense of Balance and Harmony with Nature
eBird Trip Report: 215 species, 173 checklists
Birders on a convention field trip checking to see what migrants have ventured into a riparian corridor in southeastern Colorado. Photo by Don Marsh
Summit County 2023 -
Joint WFO-CFO Convention
WDates: July 19-23, 2023
Venue: Copper Mountain Ski Resort
Keynote Address: Jessie Barry, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Merlin- Sharing the Magic of Birds with the World
Plenary Address: Chris, Wood, Cornell Lab of Ornithology; eBird Science to Conservation Action
eBird Trip Report: 176 species, 144 checklists
2023 Summit County Wrap Up news article.
Pueblo 2022
Dates: May 19-23, 2022
Venue: Hampton Inn & Suites - North
Keynote Address: Michael Parr, American Bird Conservancy President; Bird Conservation Across the Americas
eBird Trip Report: 243 species, 179 checklists
2020 & 2021
Conventions were not held in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Montrose 2019
Dates: June 13-17
Venue: Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Keynote Address: Nathan Pieplow, Earbirding.com; Birding by Ear
eBird Trip Report: 178 species, 205 checklists
Longmont 2018
Dates: May 17-20
Venue: Best Western Plaza Hotel
Keynote Address: Scott Taylor, UC Boulder; Evolutionary Biology in Birds - Black-capped Chickadee Research
eBird Trip Report: 230 species, 173 checklists
Steamboat Springs 2017
Dates: June 1-5
Venue: Colorado Mountain College
Keynote Address: Sheri Williamson; Hummingbirds: Small Wonders
eBird Trip Report: 119 species, 20 checklists
Lamar 2016
Dates: May 5-9
Venue: Rodeway Inn - Cow Palace
Keynote Address: Garth Spellman, Denver Museum of Nature & Science; The Past, Present, and Future of Ornithology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
eBird Trip Report: 141 species, 18 checklists
Lamar 2016 CFO Convention Wrap Up news article
Salida 2015
Dates: June 4-8
Venue: Gateway Inn & Suites
Keynote Address: Jeff Mitton, UC Boulder; A Naturalist's Interpretation of Interacting Species
eBird Trip Report: 121 species, 18 checklists
Sterling 2014
Dates: Aug 28 - Sep 1
Venue: Ramada Inn
Keynote Address: Jon L. Dunn, Shorebirds in Colorado: When to Expect Them, & What to Look For
eBird Trip Report: 121 species, 18 checklists
Cortez 2013
Dates: May 16-19
Venue: Baymont Inn and Suites
Keynote Address: John Vanderpoel; Full Chase Mode: Highlights of a 2011 Big Year
Trinidad 2012
Dates: May 17-20
Venue: A. R. Mitchell Museum & Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites
Keynote Address: Brian D. Linkhart, Colorado College; Shedding Light on Climate Change Effects and Migration Patterns in Flammulated Owls
Grand Junction 2011
Dates: May 20-23
Venue: Doubletree Hotel
Keynote Address: Jeff Gordon, American Birding Association; Ten Birds That Changed Birding
2001 - 2010
| Year | Location | Dates | Venue | Keynote Speaker | Keynote Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Fort Collins | May 21-24 | Hilton Inn | Craig Benkman | Ecology and Evolution of the Red Crossbill |
| 2009 | Alamosa | May 22-25 | Inn of the Rio Grande | Ted Floyd | Birding at Night: The Final Frontier |
| 2008 | Canon City | May 16-19 | Quality Inn & Suites | Richard Crossley | Birding: Past, Present, and Future |
| 2007 | Craig | June 8-10 | Holiday Inn | Victor Emmanuel | Birding Planet Earth |
| 2006 | Sterling | May 26-29 | Ramada Inn | Donald Kroodsma | The Singing Life of Birds |
| 2005 | La Junta | May 13-15 | Otereo Junior College | Brian Wheeler | |
| 2004 | Montrose | May 28-31 | Holiday Inn | Paul Lehman | |
| 2003 | Frisco | June 6-8 | Holiday Inn | Van Remsen | |
| 2002 | Durango | May 24-26 | Doubletree Inn | Kenn Kaufmann | |
| 2001 | Pueblo | May 18-20 | Holiday Inn | Tom Schultz |
1991 - 2000
| Year | Location | Dates | Venue | Keynote Speaker | Keynote Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Grand Junction | May 26-29 | Holiday Inn | Pete Dunne | |
| 1999 | Fort Collins | May 19-23 | Marriott Hotel | William S. Clark | Raptor Migration Worldwide |
| 1998 | Lamar | May 8-10 | Lamar Community College | Jon Dunn | North American Warblers |
| 1997 | Monte Vista | May 24-26 | Movie Manor Motel | Tony Leukering | Bird Quiz |
| 1996 | Estes Park | June 14-16 | YMCA of the Rockies & Park Village Playhouse | Ken Giesen | |
| 1995 | Grand Junction | May 27-29 | Grand Junction Hilton | Dr. Steven Emslie | Bird Fossils of California Condor |
| 1994 | Trinidad | May 10-12 | Best Western Country Club Inn | Dick Roth | Birding With a Purpose: The Value of Christmas Counts, Migrant and Breeding Bird Surveys as Monitoring Programs |
| 1993 | Craig | May 28-31 | Holiday Inn | Clait Braun | Colorado Grouse |
| 1992 | Denver | Sept 4-7 | Holiday Inn, Denver-Northglen | Karen & John Hollingsworth | The National Wildlife Refuges |
| 1991 | Durango | Aug. 30-Sept. 2 | Red Lion Inn | Susan Allen | Argentina |
1981 - 1990
| Year | Location | Dates | Venue | Keynote Speaker | Keynote Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Pueblo | May 19-20 | Holiday Inn | Nick Watmough | Birds of Turkey |
| 1989 | Fort Collins | May 19-21 | University Park Holiday Inn | Wendy Shattil & Bob Rozinski | Colorado Birdlife |
| 1988 | Lamar | May 28-30 | Lamar Community College | David Leatherman | Colorado Birds |
| 1987 | Boulder | May 8-10 | National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) & Clarion Hotel | Brian Wheeler | Field Guide to Hawks of North America |
| 1986 | Colorado Springs | May 17-18 | Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind & Holiday Inn Central | Robert Rozinski | The Sandhill Cranes and San Luis Valley |
| 1985 | Sterling | June 8-9 | Northeastern Junior College | John Rawinski | Owls of Colorado |
| 1984 | Grand Junction | May 25-27 | Mesa College | Films from DMNH: Goony, A Legacy to the Loon | |
| 1983 | Denver | May 27-29 | Regis College | Perry Conway | Colorado Scenery: Prairies to Peak Tops |
| 1982 | Gunnison | June 11-13 | Western State College | William Calder | Hummingbirds and Their Secerts |
| 1981 | Estes Park | June 26-28 | YMCA of the Rockies | Bill Ervin | An Introduction the Pawnee National Grasslands: Prairie Images and the Function of Song Flight in Lark Buntings |
1971 - 1980
| Year | Location | Dates | Venue | Keynote Speaker | Keynote Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Boulder | May 24-26 | Chautauqua Resort | Alfred M. Bailey | Two films |
| 1979 | Colorado Springs | May 26-27 | Colorado College | Lynn Grace | Film: Ternwatch |
| 1978 | Loveland | May 20-21 | Sylvandale Ranch | ||
| 1977 | Grand Junction | May 21-22 | Mesa County Fair Grounds | ||
| 1976 | Fort Collins | June 4-6 | Colorado State University | ||
| 1975 | Colorado Springs | May 17-18 | Colorado College & Village Inn | ||
| 1974 | Pueblo | May 18-19 | Southern Colorado State College & Holiday Inn | ||
| 1973 | Durango | May 19-20 | Strater Hotel | ||
| 1972 | Boulder | May 20-21 | Holiday Inn | ||
| 1971 | Woodland Park | May 22-23 | Manitou Experimental Forest Station | Dr. Pat Currie | Research Being Conducted at the Station |
1963 - 1970
| Year | Location | Dates | Venue | Keynote Speaker | Keynote Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Fort Collins | June 18-21 | Colorado State University | ||
| 1969 | Denver | May 3-4 | Voyager Hotel | ||
| 1968 | Grand Junction | May 25-26 | Café Caravan | ||
| 1967 | Estes Park | May 25-26 | YMCA Camp | ||
| 1966 | Boulder | May 21-22 | University of Colorado | ||
| 1965 | Colorado Springs | May 15-16 | Colorado College | ||
| 1964 | Fort Collins | 23-May | |||
| 1963 | Denver | May 25-26 | Denver Museum of Natural History & Wellshire Inn | Dr. Alfred M. Bailey | Film: Colorado Wildlife |