ISLAND BIRD WATCHING & WILDLIFE VIEWING OPPORTUNITIES

BIRD WATCHING
Antelope Island is one of the best area hotspots for rarities including three species of Scoters, Oldsquaw, Harlequin Duck, Ruddy Turnstone, Hudsonian Godwit, Sabine's Gull, Mew Gull, Red Phalarope, and Snow Bunting.

Late fall and early winter are the best fro causeway birding as hundreds of thousands of Eared Grebes and Wilson's Phalaropes use the Great Salt Lake as a staging area along with numerous other species feeding on abundant brine flies and brine shrimp (the lake has no fish).

Many habitats exist on Antelope Island, including an oasis of trees at the Fielding Garr Ranch that is especially good for passerines during spring and fall migration. On the island, look for Northern Mocking bird, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Indigo Bunting, and more.

In addition to the large Chukar population, other summer residents include Burrowing Owl, Great Horned Owl, Horned Lark, Lark Sparrow, Say's Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, and Sage Thrasher.

WILDLIFE VIEWING OPPORTUNITIES
American Bison are the island's most famous residents. Twelve animals were brought to the island in 1893; the foundation for today's herd of 500 to 700. An annual roundup is held each fall to assess the health of the herd and sell extra animals.

In addition to large mammals, the island is home to bobcats, coyotes, reptiles, shore birds, water fowl, raptors and chukars.

Wildlife, plants, minerals, cultural and all other natural features within the park are legally protected. It is unlawful to remove, alter, destroy or harass them. Keep your distance from all wildlife, as they are wild and unpredictable. View and photograph wildlife from designated trails, roads and pullouts.

Antelope Island has 40 major freshwater springs found primarily on the east side. The springs produce 36 million gallons of water each year, supporting island wildlife and vegetation.

Here is a break down by month of the different wildlife you can expect to see:

January - Bald eagles, chukar partridge, winter ducks; common golden eyes, occasional scoters, old squaws

February - Coyote pairs, bald eagles, winter raptors; prairie falcons, roughed leg hawks, winter song birds; occasional snow buntings and long spurs with horned larks, rosy finches

March - Bald eagles, first returning migratory birds arrive, California gulls, pelicans, colonial bird nesting activity on Egg and White Rock islands

April - Bison calves, blooming wildflowers, island green-up, returning avocets, stilts, sanderlings eared grebes in breeding plumage, phalaropes, peregrine falcons

May - Antelope fawns, bighorn sheep lambs, migratory birds, burrowing owls, long-billed curlews, willets, arriving migrants at ranch

June - Deer fawns, Canada geese goslings, arriving migrants at ranch, water bird viewing along shoreline

July - Wilson phalaropes peak, foraging behavior and water bird activity increasing, large animal activity slow due to heat

August - Bison mating, returning shorebirds, pelican activity seen over island

September - Eared grebes return, phalaropes, Franklin gulls, waterfowl return, migrating raptors, antelope harems, rabbit brush blooming, mature buck deer sightings

October - Bison roundup, eared grebes, brine shrimp harvest

November - Bison in corrals, eared grebes, pelicans leaving, good time to explore dunes

December - Coyote sightings, bison bull bachelor groups on north end, porcupines in Russian olives; wintering ducks; Northern shovelers

Photographs