Pink Floyd, the Chilean Flamingo that escaped from the Tracy Aviary and lived among the Gulls at The Great Salt Lake from about 1988-2005
The Great Salt Lake is one of the major bird areas in North America, giving millions of migrating waterbirds and shorebirds a resting place on their way. In addition, the Bear River Bird Refuge (located on the northeast arm of the lake) was the first national migratory bird refuge.
The Great Salt Lake Bird Festival is coming up May 14-18. You can find the field trip schedule here.
The Stop Legacy Highway site provides a month-by-month calendar identifying the different bird species and their usual arrival period. I’m pretty sure Dr. Seuss had a hand in naming a few of these birds. Phalaropes, Godwits and Dowitchers? Totally Seuss.
Birds. Birds. Birds. I just got dorkier, I know.
March
Snowy Plover
Canada Geese
April
Curlew
May
(National Wetlands Month)
Eared Grebe
Red Necked Phalarope
American Avocet
Black Necked Stilt
Willet
Marbled Godwit
Dowitcher
Yellow Headed Blackbird
June
Western Grebe
July
Wilson's Phalarope
August & September
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
Common Kingfisher
Killdeer
Double-Crested Cormorant
Common Tern
October
Golden Eagle
November
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan (rare)
December
Bald Eagle
January & February
Northern Harrier
Rough Legged Hawk
Other possible sightings
(not sure on time frame)
American White Pelican
Black Tern
Red Headed Duck
Sora
Burrowing Owl
White Faced Ibis
Battle Bunny 