Join Weber State University's Avian Ecology Lab for their 2025 Great Salt Lake Snowy Plover Survey
Snowy Plovers Need Your Help at Great Salt Lake!
In 2008, more than 5,500 Snowy Plovers were recorded nesting at Great Salt Lake—making it the most important breeding site for what’s considered North America’s rarest shorebird (Thomas et al. 2012). The lake’s expansive salt flats and shorelines provided prime, undisturbed habitat for this vulnerable bird. Fast forward 17 years, and the Great Salt Lake has undergone dramatic and troubling changes. Lake levels have plunged to record lows. Wetlands have vanished. Salinity has risen. The ecological health of the entire lake has declined—placing Snowy Plovers, and this important ecosystem they depend on, in jeopardy.
From May 15 to June 15, we will repeat the 2008 survey to find out: how many plovers remain? Where are they nesting now? Are key habitats still supporting this iconic shorebird? The Avian Ecology Lab at Weber State University in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program and numerous other organizations who have stepped up to support this effort need your help! Volunteers are needed to walk plots and count birds. Whether you’re an avid birder, a student, or simply someone who cares about the future of Great Salt Lake, you can help collect data to drive conservation.
Sign Up to Help
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Email WSUBirdBanding@gmail.com
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Contact the Avian Ecology Lab at 801.626.8634