Etched in India Ink against the dawn sky, they arrive in pairs or small flocks. Greening meadows awakening from winter’s grip throughout the Park City area and nearby Heber and Kamas valleys, play host to these majestic birds throughout the spring and summer. They’re sandhill cranes — one of the oldest bird species on the planet — and they come here to mate, nest and rear their young.
The drama unfolds every spring, offering area birdwatchers a front-row seat to one of the most ancient rituals in the natural world. The long-legged flyers, with wingspans over 6 feet, fly in from wintering grounds in central California and Texas. They travel for days — often on moonlit nights as well — to the lush meadows of Park City and Heber Valley. Their boisterous bugling calls echo across high-valley meadows all summer long.
Birders also flock here to observe and celebrate this annual rite of spring. They’re among an ever-growing population of birdwatchers here and across the United States. It’s estimated that up to one-third of all adults in the country enjoy watching our feathered friends. “I think birding really became more popular during the COVID pandemic, when people were spending more time at home maybe watching bird feeders or just watching what’s all around them,” says Rhea Cone, conservation director for Park City’s sprawling Swaner Nature Preserve and EcoCenter.
Parker Elton, manager of Backyard Birds in Salt Lake City and a birder himself, agrees. “During the pandemic, we had lines out the door and into the parking lot,” says Elton, adding that business has remained brisk ever since. Just 20 minutes from Park City via Interstate 80, Backyard Birds sells a wide variety of bird feeders, birdhouses, birdbaths, garden ornaments and more.
“We’re seeing a lot more younger people getting interested in backyard feeding,” he says. “I think they’re trying to find a way to get more connected with nature. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to go too far from home to enjoy the wonders of wild birds.” Elton has counted 20 different bird species at his feeders and especially likes downy woodpeckers and western tanagers.
Getting started
Little equipment is required to get started as a birder. Most essential is a good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope to find and magnify the birds. Beyond that, all you need is a field guide to birds, which should include preferred habitat requirements, and perhaps a free app like Merlin to identify bird calls. The Audubon Bird Guide is a free app that includes more than 800 species of North American birds. The hobby cost goes up when budding bird photographers go shopping for long-lens cameras, blinds and other equipment to capture that perfect shot.
For those who prefer a more leisurely approach to bird watching, the Swaner Nature Preserve offers Saturday morning guided tours, where participants see a variety of birds, small mammals and occasional deer and elk that frequent the meadow. All Seasons Adventures in Park City offers 2 1/2-hour local birding tours or four- to five-hour Uinta National Forest excursions.
Where to find birds
Swaner Nature Preserve is among several hotspots where sandhill cranes and many other birds congregate. “Swaner is a great place to bird watch; its 1,200 acres offer complete protection for birds and other wildlife,” says Cone, an enthusiastic birder.
A dizzying array of resident and migratory birds share the preserve with the summering cranes. To date, Cone says she’s spotted 171 species there. “During the spring migration, from March through May, is the best time to see the biggest diversity of species. One week it will be warblers and another week the swallows; there’s always something new coming in.”
“Swaner and many other wetlands in the area are like truck stops for birds. Differing habitats throughout the Park City area provide homes for many resident and migrating birds,” she notes.
Among the cast of characters are, to name a few, finches, jays, warblers, ravens, magpies, swallows and chickadees. High overhead, birds of prey (also called raptors) search out mice, voles, rabbits and ground squirrels, their preferred foods. Among them are red-tailed and Swainson’s hawks, northern harriers, Cooper’s hawks and the occasional eagle. American kestrels — the smallest hawks in North America — feast on mice and grasshoppers.
In addition to the iconic Swaner Nature Preserve, local birders stake out several areas where birds congregate. Among them are Rockport, Jordanelle, East Canyon and Deer Creek reservoirs. These waters and the tree-lined streams that flow into them are called riparian zones, sort of like freeways for birds. Several species of ducks, Canada geese, great blue herons, kingfishers, ospreys and, during the winter months, bald eagles are regularly seen in these areas.
The sandhill cranes top the list for summer birders, perhaps because they’re so easy to spot. Watchers often stroll the paved trail along the perimeter of the Swaner Nature Preserve, following the cranes as they forage across the meadow, young in tow. On any given summer morning, walkers and bicyclists delight in watching the high-stepping birds, immune to eavesdropping humans. Close encounters with the big birds are routine, as they’ve grown accustomed to being watched. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s watching whom.
Next steps
The highlight of the year for any birder is volunteering for the annual Utah Birders Park City Christmas Bird Count in mid-December. Utah birders meet at Swaner Nature Preserve and cover areas from Park City to Peoa, spreading out to count and catalog wintering birds.
This winter marks the 126th consecutive year for the overall National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count that runs from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 and has been deemed “the longest-running community science bird project in the world.” The monumental event, encompassing the entire Western Hemisphere, annually attracts more than 80,000 volunteers who work with biologists to monitor population trends and environmental changes.
Swaner Nature Preserve and EcoCenter, owned and managed by Utah State University, is a great first stop for birders new to the area. The center installs webcams near a few sandhill crane nests every spring, offering visitors a bird’s-eye view of the hatchlings, called “colts.”
For budding birders, Utah State Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) launched the Utah Birding Slam last year. The innovative program offers five slam categories: beginner, backyard, county, wetland and advanced ultimate slam. The slams cost $20 for adults and half that for kids. Participants register on DWR’s website, wildlife.utah.gov (search birding or bird watching), then set up a free eBird account to list and record the birds they see and hear. After completing a slam, they submit results online on the slam web page and receive a DWR bird pin. Money collected from the slam program helps pay for wildlife habitat improvement and research projects to track the migration of many bird species.
The great thing about birding, Cone says, is “you can go casually or you can get super, super into it.” For her, it’s personal. “Birds are really charismatic. They have distinctive calls, and they are beautiful to look at and [have] so many colors.” She adds, “I love to see the bluebirds, so visible, so sky blue. And I love hearing the red-winged blackbirds; they’re large and loud and easy to spot. They always kind of remind me that spring is coming.”
Will this be the summer you take flight and become a birder? Go ahead, spread your wings.
Backyard Bird Feeding Tips
Don’t have time to go looking for birds? Why not encourage them to come to you? Backyard bird feeders are a great way to attract a variety of birds year-round. It’s also a great way to get those close-up photos.
Bird feeders come in all shapes and sizes, often tailored to the specific species you want to attract. Simple tube feeders attract a lot of birds, and black-oiled sunflower seeds and thistle seeds appeal to most birds common to the area. Hulled sunflower seed chips are preferred among the smaller finches, especially pine siskins. Expect to see chickadees, juncos, house finches, siskins and an occasional grosbeak at your feeders. Magpies, ravens, northern flickers and woodpeckers in the area prefer suet. Buy feeders and seed in the Park City area at Petco and Walmart, both in Kimball Junction, or Backyard Birds in Salt Lake City.
A word of caution. Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks also are attracted to feeders. These small birds of prey will occasionally make a meal of an inattentive finch. Place your feeders on backyard tree limbs for protection and to serve as a natural background for photography.
