Birding Factoids

392 species
in 45 families

64 of the 246 species 
endemic to 
North America are 
represented here. 
No state endemics
2 USA endemics

    Utah
    Hotspots
Checklist of Utah BirdsLocal EventsTours and GuidesRare Bird AlertsSpeciality BirdsMap
...
Utah Specialities
(Pause your cursor on the photo to see the species name. Click on the birds for more info... )
California Gull - Utah State Bird - Photo by Jim Stasz
Photo by Jim Stasz

Black-necked Stilt - highest breeding density - Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Photo copyright Don DesJardin

Cassin's Finch - Photo copyright Patricia Michaels

Photo copyright Patricia Michaels

Snowy Egret - High breeding density - Photo copyright Greg Rothschild

Photo copyright Greg Rothschild

White-throated Swift - Photo copyright Monte Taylor

Photo copyright Monte Taylor
    Key to Icons....Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Utah
    Key to Icons....A Thumbnail Guide to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
      by Don Baccus. The Refuge, managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, lies on the eastern edge of the Great Basin, just west of Brigham City, Utah. With its fresh water ponds and canals, it is one of the most important resting and staging areas for migrating waterfowl in North America. In spring and summer, it is an extremely productive nesting area for birds like Clark's and western grebes, American avocet, Wilson's phalarope, black-necked stilt, snowy egret, and white-faced ibis. 
    ....Birding locations in Utah - from the Great Lake Audubon Society.
    ....Birding Site Index - by Utah Birds. This is an index of popular birding
      sites in the state of Utah.  Most of the information concerns directions on how to get to these sites.
    ....National Wildlife Refuges Index - Utah. Includes links
      to information on:
      ....Key to Icons  Bear River National Wildlife Refuge - Brigham City, Utah
      • Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge - Dugway, Utah
      • Ouray National Wildlife Refuge - Vernal, Utah
    ....Ogden Area Birding - by the Wasatch Audubon Society. Utah has
      an abundance of State and Federal public lands, a treasure that many states lack. Utah is also a state with great habitat diversity. Close to Ogden, Utah there are birding opportunities ranging from the Great Salt Lake at an elevation of approximately 4,200 feet to Ben Lomond and Willard Peak that approach 9,800 feet in elevation.
    ....Birding in Utah - brief articles on breeding
      birds and migratory birds around the Great Salt Lake
    ....The Falcons of Salt Lake City, Utah - article documents the history
      and location of peregrine falcon nesting in Salt Lake City and environs. 
    ....Tracy Aviary - Tracy Aviary's mission is to educate the public 
      about natural history and science in a stimulating, interactive setting.  Additionally, Tracy Aviary houses and breeds endangered species of birds and provides a venue for research in conservation biology. The Aviary is located on 7.5 acres of land in the heart of Salt Lake City.  Tracy Aviary maintains a collection of approximately 400 birds representing about 135 species.  Many of these birds are considered rare or endangered.
    ....Eagle Watching in Utah - from AmazingOutdoors.com. Every year 
      thousands of eagles migrate to Utah to wait out the Canadian and Alaskan winters, offering an unparalleled opportunity to see in the flesh one of the world's most majestic birds of prey.
    ....A Salty Lake near Snowy Mountains - In July and August, Utah offers 
      many rewards for the traveling birder. The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in northern Utah has prodigious numbers of shorebirds. The Great Salt Lake supports up to 500,000 Wilson's Phalaropes; 250,000 American Avocets; and 10,000 Snowy Plovers every year. Shorebird viewing conditions are outstanding on the seven-mile causeway that leads to Antelope Island.
    ....Great Salt Lake Utah, USA Hemispheric Reserve.
      Located in Davis, Box Elder, Tooele, Salt Lake, and Weber counties, Utah
    ....Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge
    ....Watchable Wildlife in Utah - a selcted list of some of the best 
      spring and summer locations for watching wildlife in Utah.
    ....The Nature Conservancy of Utah - preserve profiles
      including:
      • Layton Wetlands
      • Matheson Preserve
    ....Trip Report: Northern Utah, July 26 - August 3, 1996 by Urs Geiser.
      I was able to add a few days of birding to what was essentially a business trip. Of course, it helped that the conference I was attending was held in the scenic ski resort of Snowbird. At 8000 ft, there were plenty of birds (and not the kind I see around here, either) to be seen just walking from building to building. 
    ....Utah Trip Reports - a number of Utah trip reports are available
      from Blake Maybank's "Birding the Americas - Trip Report and Trip Planning Repository".

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Tours and Guides

See DISCLAIMER
>>>>

birdingpal.com...>> A Birding Pal is not a paid guide, but someone who likes to help out of town visitors. You can become a Birding Pal today! Help someone to enjoy your local birding spots and find a pal to help you when you travel. Click here for Utah Birding Pals, or join to be a Birding Pal!
Snowy Plover - highest breeding density - Photo copyright Don DesJardin
Photo copyright Don DesJardin
    ....Utah with Victor Emanuel Nature ToursTraditionally regarded as
      a place to go for spectacular scenery, Utah is in fact a state replete with birds. From the high mountains to the wooded canyons, we have a chance to see most of the western montane species found in North America. The open water, shoreline, and marshes of the Great Salt Lake will offer a vastly different kind of birding, while the Great Basin habitats will net us many more species dependent on a more arid, sparser environment. 
      • Utah  June 16 - June 24, 2001 (9.0 days - Limit 16) with leader Barry Lyon. 
      VENT offers nearly 140 tours to over 100 land-based destinations each year and is the largest tour company in the world specializing in birding and natural history.
       

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Local Birding Events

American Avocet - highest breeding density - Photo copyright Don DesJardin
Photo copyright Don DesJardin
    ....Bridgerland Audubon Society - Field Trips
    ....Great Salt Lake Audubon Society - Activities
    ....Red Cliffs Audubon Society - St. George, Utah - Field Trips
    ....Salt Lake Birders - Calendar
    ....Utah County Birders - Calendar of Events
    ....Wasatch Audubon Society - Ogden, Utah - Field Trips 

    ....Utah Bald Eagle Day - March 9, 2001. Contact: Utah Division 

      of Wildlife Resources, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 2110, Box 146301, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6301. Call (8801) 538-4771 for more information.
    ....Snow Goose Festival - Delta, Utah. 1st Week in March. One of the 
      signs that winter is on it's way out is the annual congregation of Lesser Snow Geese in the area around Delta. Each February thousands of these beautiful white birds use the fields and waters between Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area and Delta as a rest stop on their northern migration. 
    ....Great Salt Lake Bird Festival - May 18-25, 2002. Davis County
      FairPark, Farmington, Utah. Call 801-451-3286 or E-mail: tour@co.davis.ut.us for more information. Keynote speaker: Kenn Kaufman. As one of the best birding spots in the West, the Great Salt Lake draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to its refuges and state parks with the primary purpose of viewing wildlife.  The Great Salt Lake offers a major stopping ground for millions of migratory and nesting waterbirds annually as part of the Pacific flyway corridor.
    ....Utah Migratory Bird/Wetlands Day - May 12, 2001. Contact: Utah
      Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 21110, Box 146301, Salt Lake City, UT 146301. TEL: (801) 538-4771.
    ....Utah Raptor Watch Day - September 23, 2000. Contact: Utah
      Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 West North Temple, Suite 21110, Box 146301, Salt Lake City, UT 146301. TEL: (801) 538-4771.
    ....Sixth Annual Sandhill Crane Days - September, 1999 - 
      Hyrum, UT. For more information, call (801) 245-6747.

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Rare Bird Alert

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North American Specialities in Utah

Information derived from Sibley & Monroe checklists in Thayer's Birder's Diary - Version 2.5.
These counts will differ in minor ways from counts based on the ABA classification,
but an international checklist system was required to enable world-wide
country to country comparisons.These speciality birds may be uncommon, or extremely rare
at this location, or may only be present in migration. However, documented sightings of each species
noted below have been made in Utah. Consult the Breeding Bird Survey or
Christmas Bird Count data on the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center website
to determine the "best" place to see each bird. Species printed in blue are endangered.


USA Endemics in Utah

___ Black Rosy-Finch ___ Brown-capped Rosy-Finch
North American Endemic Specialities in Utah

___ Anna's Hummingbird
___ Bendire's Thrasher
___ Bewick's Wren
___ Black-chinned Hummingbird
___ Black-chinned Sparrow
___ Black-headed Grosbeak
___ Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
___ Black-throated Sparrow
___ Blue Grouse
___ Brewer's Sparrow
___ Broad-billed Hummingbird
___ Bullock's Oriole
___ Cactus Wren
___ California Gull
___ Calliope Hummingbird
___ Canyon Wren
___ Cassin's Finch
___ Chestnut-collared Longspur
___ Clark's Grebe
___ Clark's Nutcracker
___ Common Poorwill
___ Cordilleran Flycatcher
___ Costa's Hummingbird
___ Ferruginous Hawk
___ Gilded Flicker
___ Greater Roadrunner
___ Grey Flycatcher
___ Grey Vireo
___ Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch
___ Harris's Sparrow
___ House Finch
___ Le Conte's Sparrow
___ Le Conte's Thrasher 
___ Lewis's Woodpecker
___ Lucy's Warbler
___ McCown's Longspur
___ Mountain Bluebird
___ Mountain Chickadee
___ Mountain Plover
___ Phainopepla
___ Pinyon Jay
___ Plain Titmouse
___ Prairie Falcon
___ Pygmy Nuthatch
___ Red-breasted Sapsucker
___ Red-naped Sapsucker
___ Red-shouldered Hawk
___ Ruffed Grouse
___ Sage Sparrow
___ Sage Thrasher
___ Say's Phoebe
___ Scott's Oriole
___ Sharp-tailed Grouse
___ Spotted Owl
___ Spotted Towhee
___ Townsend's Solitaire
___ Trumpeter Swan
___ Verdin
___ Western Bluebird
___ Western Grebe
___ Western Screech-Owl
___ Western Scrub-Jay
___ White-tailed Ptarmigan
___ Williamson's Sapsucker

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Links checked December 3, 2000