Visitors to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming are accustomed to breathtaking scenery: A moose foraging in willow flats beneath the cathedral of the Teton Range is an iconic sight, for example. But beyond the drama of the high mountains and the big mammals, the park offers birdwatchers more subtle attractions: a great diversity of avian life, from the flashy western tanager to the acrobatic osprey.
Grand Teton’s 310,000 acres lie in northwestern Wyoming, just south of Yellowstone National Park and close to the Idaho border. Surrounded to great degree by parks, national forests and other refuges, Grand Teton is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a cohesive swath of habitat representing one of the biggest intact temperate ecosystems in the world.
The park contains a broad diversity of habitat: It stretches, after all, from the ice-carved fangs of the high Tetons, over 13,000 feet above sea level, to the marshes and sagebrush flats of the Snake River Valley. In between are alpine tundra, bands of conifer forest and rolling foothills. Birds of all stripes find rich pickings in this landscape gradient.
The US Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center lists more than 300 bird species for the national park and its surroundings. Grand Teton’s bird life ranges the gamut from miniscule songbirds to massive waterfowl and birds of prey. For example, riparian (river-side) willows may be abuzz -- literally -- with the calliope hummingbird, tiniest of the continent’s birds. Not far away, the tall, stately sandhill crane may be foraging, easily mistaken at a distance for a good-sized mammal like a coyote. Other big birds include the rare trumpeter swan, heaviest of North American birds, which nests in the park; and two species of eagles, bald and golden, which favor bodies of water and open country, respectively.
Migrants and Residents
Some birds stick out Grand Teton’s impressive winters and reside in the park year-round. The great blue heron, for example, a large wading bird that skewers fish and other aquatic prey, might be encountered along the Snake River at any time of year, although more commonly from spring to fall. Bald eagles and great horned owls hunt the park in any month. By contrast, many kinds of birds use the park seasonally, migrating through in spring and fall or breeding there in the summer. Common nighthawks and swallows hunt insects over warm-season grasslands, while a host of warblers pass through or nest in various park habitats.
Looking for Grand Teton’s birds takes patience and sharp eyes, but wildlife is plentiful enough to keep your binoculars busy wherever you set up vantage. If you’re looking for a particular species, you want to choose an appropriate habitat: You aren’t likely to find the burly sage grouse in a lodgepole pine forest, for example, but rather in open lowlands. On a hike, stop frequently and listen for birdsong; also scan the sky for passing raptors. In general, focus your efforts at the boundaries of two different habitats -- meadow and woodland, for example -- and keep a bird guide handy to help you identify confusing species.
- Tetons image by Annika from Fotolia.com