The Great Salt Lake Bird Festival

Welcome to the 23rd Annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival

Discover Davis, Utah’s Amusement Capital is pleased to once again welcome you to the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival in beautiful northern Utah, where birdwatchers will find unique and exciting opportunities to observe many different birds in their natural habitat. Davis County is home to Great Salt Lake, a major North/South migration route for more than 250 bird species, making it one of the top places for birders to catch unique glimpses of our many feathered friends. 

Great Salt Lake Bird Festival attendees will have the unique opportunity to go beyond the habitats and trails of this premier birding location with trips that take them around the Wasatch Front to areas with open water, shores of fresh and saline lakes, sagebrush foothills and, depending on weather, to aspen and evergreen forests. We are pleased to offer over 25 field trips during this year’s festival, each designed to create a uniquely different experience. Some trips even offer exclusive access to areas that cannot be visited by the general public. Attendees will be able to experience some of Utah’s most beautiful State Parks, State Wildlife Areas, and National Refuge areas. 

While we missed hosting you in 2020, we look forward to providing you a top tier Festival experience this year in a safe and socially distanced manner. With precautions in mind, we will say goodbye for 2021 to large group gatherings, bus tours, and in-person workshops. Field trips will have smaller attendee capacities and will be self-drive only to adhere to safety regulations. The safety of our attendees, volunteers, and partners is of the utmost importance, just as we look to protect the birds and the land they call home if only for a short while on their migratory path. When the time is right, we look forward to returning to the Festival activities and experiences we are all used to in the future. 

Our event headquarters will be the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. Located on the edge of Great Salt Lake, here you’ll discover a birder’s paradise at one of the greatest natural locations in Utah. The Wildlife Education Center will not be filled with workshops and informational booths in 2021, although some of our field trips will begin here. We also encourage everyone to support the Center and explore the area on their own time, as we believe you will not be disappointed.  

We hope you will join us this year for another great Festival. Happy Birding!