The LANL Region consists of all DOE-owned property operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory that is not accessible to the general public. As a result, only LANL badge-holders can bird this region for the CBC. Additionally, having a LANL badge does not grant you access to all areas within the LANL Region–permission must be granted from the relevant manager ahead of time for access to each area to be birded. Typically this region is covered by a single team led by biologists from LANL’s Environmental Stewardship Group.
The LANL Region contains a wide diversity of habitat types, but most of them are replicated elsewhere in the CBC circle and with less restrictive access requirements. Thus, the LANL team generally concentrates on the habitats that are not found elsewhere, specifically wetlands.
Sandia Canyon Wetlands is the only extensive reed marsh within the count circle, and because it is fed by runoff from the LANL power co-generation plant, parts of the wetlands stay un-frozen year round. As a result, there are year-round Virginia Rail found here and occasionally an over-winter Sora. It is a breeding area for Red-winged Blackbirds, and they are often found here in the winter as well.
Pajarito Canyon Wetlands is a narrow willow wetland that generally has a better bird diversity than other non-wetland canyon bottom habitats.
A six-mile through hike of Los Alamos Canyon from the hockey rink to State Road 4 starts in mixed-conifer canyon-bottom forest, then transitions into ponderosa pine forest, and finally into pinon-juniper, all while staying in a deep canyon and hiking on a disused road. These habitats are replicated outside of the LANL region so this is a lesser priority than the wetlands, but this canyon is particularly birdy.