Spring is here, and wildlife migrations are in full swing here in Utah. Several events across the state are highlighting the movements of Utah's wild animals.
"When you're wanting to look for birds, May and later in the fall, like September, October, are some of the best times to see birds because that's when migration is at its peak here in Utah," said Angie Trumbo, the director of conservation at Tracy Aviary. "We fall right in between two different flyways; we get a lot of different migratory birds passing through."
This month, events across the state are celebrating World Migratory Bird Day. This celebrates the migration of nearly 350 species of birds between nesting habitats in North America and non-breeding grounds in Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
A coordinator at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center says the obscure holiday gives experts like her a chance to highlight how all Utahns can help birds complete their journeys and live long lives.
"Remembering that where these birds are, it might be temporary, and so these other places that they live are also important to conserve," said Ashley Kijowski." If we conserve our water here and we have really good habitat for these birds, we're going to help them along their journey."
Bird enthusiasts have a chance to see hundreds of species this weekend with the 27th annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival happening across the Wasatch Front.
"It's a long-running festival, and of course it largely focuses on the Great Salt Lake and its ecosystem, but it also has expanded to include different areas of habitat and birds throughout the watershed," said Max Malmquist, the engagement manager for the National Audubon Society's Saline Lakes Program and a voluntary member of festival committee.
Experts say they're seeing a trend across the country and especially here in Utah with younger generations becoming bird enthusiasts.
"We're seeing a lot of younger people getting interested in birds and birding," Trumbo said, "particularly in our conservation department, where we have a lot of volunteer opportunities for people to get involved in community science."
"We're seeing a lot more young folks that are interested in birds and field trips, and we have tried to grow the number of field trips and activities available to meet that need," Malmquist added.
If you want to do some bird watching on your own this year, early mornings are a great time to locate several species. There are several popular locations across the state, including Antelope Island State Park, Fish Spring National Wildlife Refuge, Pelican Lake, and Mill Creek.
"We have a lot of state parks around. If there's water, there's gonna be birds, especially this time of year," Kijowski said. "So I would just check out our state parks like East Canyon, [or] in southern Utah, you could go to Sand Hollow State Park. In southeastern Utah, you could check out the Desert Lake Waterfowl Management Area."
If you want other popular spots or bird watching tips, you can find more information on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website HERE.
