Bird-watching: Utah Bird-watching Sites @ nationalgeographic.com

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Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Birds flock to Bear River in spring to court and hatch their offspring.

Photograph © Scott T. Smith/Corbis

The most famous birding area on the lake—indeed, one of the most famous in the West—is Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, west of Brigham City (exit I-15 onto Forest St. and drive W 15 miles; 24.1 kilometers). As you drive to the refuge, you’ll cross marshes adjoining the Bear River where wading birds and waterfowl can be abundant, so don’t rush to reach the entrance. Many of the species listed for the refuge below can be found here, and in fact the birding is sometimes better along the road than in the refuge itself. Snowy Plover can be found along the road when water levels aren’t too high (look for whitish alkali flats), and Long-billed Curlew can be common.
Bear River refuge suffered great damage in the mid-1980s when the Great Salt Lake rose 7 to 11 feet [2.1 to 3.4 meters] above its normal level, washing out dikes, flooding buildings, and destroying habitat. After much work, which involved moving more than a million cubic yards [764,555 cubic meters] of earth, the refuge reopened for visitation in the early 1990s, and it is again a regional birding hot spot. From the old headquarters site, a 12-mile [19.3-kilometer] loop auto-tour route (call for spring road conditions) passes ponds and marshes diked to control water level and salinity.
In spring and summer, you can practice differentiating Western and Clark’s Grebes (look for the yellow-orange bill and more extensively white "face" on the latter), watch nesting Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, and Willet, and with luck glimpse a Virginia Rail or Sora walking through the marsh grass. Other breeding-season birds here include Eared Grebe, American White Pelican (nests on islands in the Great Salt Lake), Double-crested Cormorant, American Bittern (rarely seen), Great Blue Heron, Snowy and Cattle Egrets, Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, several species of duck, Northern Harrier, Ring-necked Pheasant, California Gull, Forster’s and Black Terns, Horned Lark, Marsh Wren, an d Savannah and Song Sparrows.
Migration brings a wider variety of species to Bear River, with thousands of ducks stopping to feed, and as many as 50,000 Tundra Swans present in November. In summer and fall, common shorebirds include Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Marbled Godwit, Western and Least Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes, though many other species are possible. Peak shorebird variety occurs the second week of August.

Antelope Island State Park

A swanlike neck and long, thin bill distinguish the western grebe.

Photograph © Layne Kennedy/Corbis

Antelope Island State Park occupies the largest island in the Great Salt Lake, reached by a 7.2-mile [11.6-kilometer] causeway (Utah 127/1700 Street South) from Syracuse. The causeway and island are known for migrant waterbirds and shorebirds, as well as some interesting land birds. In summer and fall, billions of brine flies swarm along the Great Salt Lake shoreline (don’t worry; they don’t bite). In addition, though the lake is too salty for fish, tiny brine shrimp provide another food source. The result is vast congregations of Eared Grebes, shorebirds (look for Snowy Plover, among many others, along the causeway, and for Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes in the lake), and gulls, among other species. From the causeway and island, birders scan the open lake for migrant and wintering waterfowl. The causeway is probably the best place on the entire lake to look for rarities such as scoters, Oldsquaw, and Barrow’s Goldeneye in late fall.
At the state park, look for such grassland and arid-country birds as Chukar (check near the visitor center), Burrowing Owl, Common Poorwill, Say’s Phoebe, Rock and Canyon Wrens, Sage Thrasher, and Brewer’s and Sage Sparrows. Bridger Bay Beach here is probably the best swimming area on the Great Salt Lake, and a good place to see how easy it is to float (in fact, how impossible it is to sink) in the buoyant salty water. A herd of bison thrives on Antelope Island, and both pronghorn and bighorn sheep have been introduced. Sixteen miles [25.8 kilometers] of backcountry trails allow hiking and wildlife viewing.
Just to the south, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area (main entrance located S and W of Farmington on W. Glover Ln./Rte. 925 South) offers a chance to see many of the same waders, waterfowl, and shorebirds listed for Bear River refuge. The shallow impoundments and marshes here have nesting Western and Clark’s Grebes, Great Blue Heron, and Snowy Plover, and as many as 200,000 ducks may be present in fall. Driving and/or walking are allowed on some dikes at certain times of year, but parts of the area are closed seasonally to lessen disturbance of the birds.

Wasatch-Cache National Forest

Open woodlands and forest edges attract the black-headed grosbeak.

Photograph © Joe McDonald/Corbis

Part of Utah’s great diversity of habitats is, of course, the beautiful high country of the Rocky Mountains, a favorite destination for summer birders just as it is for winter skiers. The Wasatch Range provides easy access from Salt Lake City to many of the typical nesting birds of the mountains in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. From Utah 190 (Wasatch Boulevard, closed in winter), which parallels I-215, take 3800 South Street eastward up into Mill Creek Canyon. Several picnic areas are located along the 9 miles [14.5 kilometers] of this road, offering the chance to look for White-throated Swift; Black-chinned and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds; Red-naped Sapsucker; Olive-sided, Dusky, and Cordilleran Flycatchers; Plumbeous and Warbling Vireos; Steller’s Jay; Clark’s Nutcracker; Mountain Chickadee; American Dipper (along the creek); Townsend’s Solitaire; Swainson’s and Hermit Thrushes; Orange-crowned, Virginia’s, and MacGillivray’s Warblers; Western Tanager; Green-tailed Towhee; Song and Lincoln’s Sparrows; Black-headed Grosbeak; and Cassin’s Finch. You’ll have to be lucky to see a Northern Goshawk, Blue Grouse, or Northern Pygmy-Owl, but all are possible.
About 3 miles [4.8 kilometers] into the canyon, watch for signs designating the Desolation Trail; a climb of less than 2 miles [3.2 kilometers], ascending 1,250 feet [381 meters] above the trailhead, will take you to a fine overlook of the Great Salt Lake, and you can continue on the trail as far as you have time and energy. At the end of the road, the Upper Mill Creek Canyon Trail climbs 9 miles [14.5 kilometers] to join with the Wasatch Crest Trail, for those ready for a serious hike. Checking varied habitats, including aspen groves, conifers, and meadows, will turn up the greatest diversity of species.
Most of these same birds can be found in Big Cottonwood Canyon, about 5 miles [8 kilometers] south. From Wasatch Boulevard, drive on Utah 190 east into the c anyon. Spruces Recreation Area, at 7,400 feet [2,255.5 meters], makes a good stop, but many other spots also offer birding opportunities. About 14 miles [22.5 kilometers] up the canyon, bear right to Brighton. Go behind the general store here to reach a trail around pretty Silver Lake. You can continue 1.5 miles [2.4 kilometers] to Lake Solitude, or even farther if you like, for solitude and more birding.

Mirror Lake Scenic Byway

The fierce northern goshawk preys on other birds and mammals as large as hares.

Photograph © W. Perry Conway/Corbis

East of Salt Lake City, Utah 150 is known as the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway from Kamas east and north toward Wyoming. Along the way it crosses the Uinta Mountains, the highest east-west range in the lower 48 states. About 26 miles [41.8 kilometers] from Kamas, stop at Trial Lake, at 9,500 feet [2,895.6 meters], to look for mountain birds such as Blue Grouse, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Olive-sided and Hammond’s Flycatchers, Gray and Steller’s Jays, Clark’s Nutcracker, Mountain Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Townsend’s Solitaire, Pine Grosbeak, Cassin’s Finch, Red Crossbill, and Pine Siskin.
In 3 miles [4.8 kilometers], at Bald Mountain Pass, turn toward the parking area for the Bald Mountain Trail, known as a good spot to find Black Rosy-Finch. Check rocky slopes, especially around the edges of ice fields and snowbanks, for this little bird, which nests only above timberline. You’ll also find American Pipit up here at around 10,700 feet [3,261.4 meters]. The 2-mile [3.2 kilometers] trail to the top of Bald Mountain, at 11,943 feet, offers fabulous views of Uinta peaks and lakes. It’s normally walkable only from mid-July to October. In 3 more miles [4.8 kilometers], the Mirror Lake campground and picnic area is another popular birding spot. It is also just plain popular: The parking area here is full nearly every day in summer. After you’ve birded around the lake and picnic grounds, you can walk a short spur trail that leads to the Highline Trail, passing through meadows where you may find Calliope Hummingbird and Mountain Bluebird, as well as forests of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir where there’s a chance you’ll see Blue Grouse, Three-toed Woodpecker, and other woodland birds. Keep an eye out for Northern Goshawk and Golden Eagle soaring overhead.

Dinosaur National Monument
Over on the Colorado state line east of Vernal, Dinosaur National Monument is a fine place to see birds, as well as the bones of the creatures that may have been their ancestors. In the Dinosaur Quarry building, the fossil bones of Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, and other dinosaurs are displayed in the rock where they were found. Outside is an arid, rocky landscape of sagebrush, greasewood, pinyon pine, and juniper, where breeding birds include White-throated Swift; Black-chinned and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds; Gray Flycatcher (rare); Say’s Phoebe; Plumbeous Vireo (occasional); Western Scrub-Jay: Pinyon Jay; Juniper Titmouse; Rock, Canyon, and House Wrens; Mountain Bluebird; Virginia’s (occasional) and Black-throated Gray Warblers; Spotted Towhee; Chipping, Lark, and Sage Sparrows; Lazuli Bunting; and Bullock’s Oriole.
The area around the Josie Morris Cabin, 10 miles [16.1 kilometers] past Dinosaur Quarry, is a spectacularly beautiful place of rugged box canyons, productive for several riparian and pinyon-juniper birds. Also check the nature trail at Split Mountain Campground, and riparian areas along the Green River. You might see a Golden Eagle or a Prairie Falcon anywhere around the park. Recently, thanks to restoration efforts, there probably have been more Peregrine Falcons in the park than Prairies, as this magnificent predator continues its comeback from endangered status. By taking the Harpers Corner Scenic Drive (partly in Utah and partly in Colorado), you have a chance of seeing Sage Grouse, fairly common many places in the park. In spring, ask naturalists about viewing Sage Grouse leks (traditional courtship "dancing" sites), most of which are located outside the park.

Ouray National Wildlife Refuge

A yellow-headed blackbird sings from its cattail perch.

Photograph © Scott T. Smith/Corbis

Downstream on the Green River, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge ranks with Utah’s best birding sites. The marshes and impoundments of this 11,987-acre [4,851-hectare] refuge, stretching along 12 miles [19.3 kilometers] of the river, serve as an oasis in a desert region where rainfall averages only about 7 inches [17.8 centimeter] a year. Drier habitat around the wetlands adds to the diversity of possible species. As you drive south from US 40 toward the refuge on Utah 88, stop in about 2 miles [3.2 kilometers] and check the sage flats to the east for Brewer’s and Sage Sparrows. At Pelican Lake (about 7 miles S of US 40), check for waders and other waterbirds, and for shorebirds feeding around the lake edge in migration. Then continue south another 6 miles [9.7 kilometers] to the Ouray refuge entrance on the east.
Driving the 9-mile [14.5-kilometer] auto tour route, look for nesting waterbirds including Pied-billed, Eared, Western, and Clark’s Grebes; Double-crested Cormorant; Great Blue Heron; Snowy Egret; Black-crowned Night-Heron; White-faced Ibis; Canada Goose; several ducks including all three teals, Redhead, Common Merganser, and Ruddy Duck; Virginia Rail; Sora; Black-necked Stilt; American Avocet; Wilson’s Phalarope; and Forster’s and Black Terns. In migration, many other species of shorebirds visit the refuge, along with occasional flocks of Sandhill Cranes. An observation tower at Sheppard Bottom provides an overview of the area, and it is a good place to look for American Bittern.
Burrowing Owl is sometimes seen at the prairie dog town on the tour route, and other species of the brushlands and grasslands include Northern Harrier; Ring-necked Pheasant; Say’s Phoebe; Western and Eastern Kingbirds; Horned Lark; Loggerhead Shrike; Sage Thrasher (uncommon); Vesper, Lark, and Sage (scarce) Sparrows; and Lazuli Bunting. Marsh Wren, Yellow Warbler, and Yellow-headed Blackbird breed in and around wetlands, and a few Lewis’s Woodpeckers nes t in riverside cottonwoods. From spring through fall, Lewis’s Woodpecker is more likely to be found by driving a few miles south on Utah 88 to the town of Ouray and crossing the bridge over the Green River, where these birds frequent the cottonwoods.

Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge
Out—far out—in west-central Utah, Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge is another desert oasis, where springs and seeps provide water for a 10,000-acre [4,046.9-hectare] marsh complex, attracting nesting grebes; waders, including American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, and Snowy Egret (Great and Cattle Egrets are sometimes present); ducks; Snowy Plover (uncommon); Willet; and Long-billed Curlew. Sage Thrasher is a possibility in desert scrub, as is Black-throated Sparrow. In fall and winter, Tundra Swan is common, and some Trumpeter Swans winter here. And, of course, any wetland area this isolated in the desert will attract more than its share of rarities.
The birds of Fish Springs are tempting, but be advised that when planning a visit, travelers should realize that reaching it requires a long drive on gravel roads through uninhabited desert—a journey not to be undertaken without preparation. From Salt Lake City take I-80 west to Utah 36 (Tooele exit). Travel south about 27 miles [43.5 kilometers] until you reach the old Pony Express route and follow this approximately 63 miles [101.4 kilometers] to the refuge.

Lytle Nature Preserve
The most famous birding spot in southwestern Utah is not one of the well-known national parks or monuments, but the small Lytle Nature Preserve, off the beaten track just a few miles from both Nevada and Arizona. Here several birds of the Mojave Desert extend their ranges into Utah, and a small creek creates a riparian oasis in an arid landscape of shrub-dotted cliffs. From St. George, drive west on US 91 through Santa Clara; at Shivwits, continue on US 91 southwestward toward Arizona. About 7 miles [11.3 kilometers] from Shivwits, you’ll reach Utah Hill, the crest of the Beaver Dam Mountains. Gray Vireo and Black-chinned Sparrow have been found here in spring and early summer. Also watch for Western Scrub-Jay and Scott’s Oriole. In about 4 more miles [6.4 kilometers], at Cattle Cliff, turn west onto a dirt road, following signs 11 miles [17.7 kilometers] to the preserve. Reservations aren’t necessary for day visits, but if you’d like to camp here, call in advance for information and fees. Drinking water and rest rooms are available.
Some of the birds you might find include Common Black-Hawk (very rare); Gambel’s Quail; White-winged Dove; Greater Roadrunner; Costa’s Hummingbird; Ladder-backed Woodpecker; Vermilion, Ash-throated, and Brown-crested Flycatchers; Black Phoebe; Loggerhead Shrike; Bell’s Vireo; Verdin; Cactus and Bewick’s Wrens; Black-tailed Gnatcatcher; Crissal Thrasher; Lucy’s Warbler; Summer Tanager; Abert’s Towhee; Black-chinned Sparrow; Hooded and Scott’s Orioles; and Lesser Goldfinch. Several trails lead up the wash and into the low hills, passing through cottonwoods, desert scrub, and old fields and an orchard from the days when this was a working ranch. Look down occasionally, instead of always up for birds, and you might be lucky enough to spot a Gila monster, that beautiful, orange-and-black poisonous lizard of the southwestern desert.