Watch rarely-seen birds at upcoming DWR viewing event

Vernal — Winter is a great time to see rare, alpine bird species — like rosy-finches — in their natural habitat. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Ashley National Forest are hosting a free viewing event next month that will allow the public a chance to see these hardy, mountain birds close-up.

Rosy-finches are typically fairly elusive, but during the winter months, they are easy to spot amongst the white, snowy landscape. Utah is commonly home to two species of rosy-finches: gray-crowned and black. Both can be identified with their pinkish, red wings and brown, black, or gray-mottled bodies and heads, adding a pop of color to an otherwise muted winter landscape.

Black rosy-finches traditionally nest in the rocky, talus slopes of Utah's mountaintops, making them much harder to find and observe in the summer months during the nesting season. Gray-crowned rosy finches likely hold the North American record as the bird that breeds in the highest altitudes, with evidence of gray-crowned rosy finches nesting on Denali — recently renamed to Mt. McKinley — the highest mountain peak in North America. However, winter winds and snow often reduce the bird's food sources at higher elevations, forcing them to move further down the mountain during winter, making them more accessible. Large flocks of both species are often found feeding together this time of year, allowing biologists to target areas where they can study these birds and gather more data on them.

"We don’t know a lot about this bird species, so we've been working diligently with other biologists statewide to try and fill in the data gaps," DWR Wildlife Conservation Biologist Brian Maxfield said. "Over the past few years, we've been able to band and deploy several radio frequency identification tags on the birds' legs, which helps us detect how often the birds that have been tagged return to the same winter location to feed."

Details for the event

During the event, the biologists will set out ground traps to capture the rosy-finches and, if successful, the birds will be collected and given small leg bands. These aluminum bands are stamped with a unique number that identifies each bird throughout its lifetime. The information gathered from the banding efforts helps biologists learn more about migration patterns and other crucial data.

The viewing event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. at a designated meeting site just north of Vernal. DWR and Ashley National Forest Service biologists and staff will be available to answer questions and to help participants spot rosy-finches in the area. Spotting scopes and binoculars will be available for use, but you should bring your own if you have them. The Ashley National Forest will have a vault toilet available during the event.

"This is a great time of year to bundle up and get outdoors for some fresh air and bird-watching," DWR Northeastern Region Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer-Selby said. "Bird watching, or birding, is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities, and it is fun for all ages. We hope to show Utah residents that you can enjoy birding throughout the entire year and almost anywhere you go."

To reach the viewing site, travel north from Vernal on U.S. Highway 191 about 23 miles to the parking lot on the right side of the road off of Forest Service Road 217. There will be signs marking the event location. While the event is free, participants are encouraged to register in advance on Eventbrite.

To ensure the birds are not disrupted, attendees are asked to not bring dogs or any other pets to the viewing event.