Flocks of pelicans and gulls that once darkened the sky have disappeared, and scientists say land bridges from persistent low water levels are likely to blame.
Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Utah Division of Wildlife Rescources, University of Utah and Westminster College scientists visit Gunnison Island in the northwest corner of the Great Salt Lake to install trail cameras in 2017.Thousands of American white pelicans fly into Gunnison Island each spring to nest and raise chicks. But this year, there are almost none.
The Great Salt Lake’s receding water, however, has created land bridges that allow access for sharp-toothed scavengers and human trespassers. Since at least 2017, the access has put one of the nation’s largest nesting pelican colonies at risk. That’s when trail cameras detected a coyote exploring the island.
They only have a small window to do their grueling work — if the parent birds fly back in from fishing at Bear Lake or Bear River Bay and see a bunch of scientists messing around their home, they’ll completely abandon it along with their young. Scientists have tagged as many as 500 birds on their Gunnison Island banding expeditions. In 2019, they. They haven’t made it to the island to check on the juvenile birds since. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down their fieldwork in 2020 and 2021. Avian flu prevented them from venturing to Gunnison in 2022.
PeliCam photos courtesy of Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University and the Utah State Division of Wildlife.
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