Pelicans With Green Wing Tags

[John Neill]

When you see pelicans keep an eye out for green wing tags.  This year on Gunnison Island in Great Salt Lake, 500 juvenile American white pelicans were banded and wing tagged on each wing.  We are beginning to receive sightings of these young of the year pelicans as they venture off Gunnison Island.

Please alert us of your sightings to help us track pelican movements both locally and regionally.  You can contact me directly to report your sightings by including when, where, tag code/color, and by whom.  Photos are always appreciated as well.

I also encourage you to also report your sightings at reportband.gov though I have had trouble reporting a few sightings at this website in the past.

Gunnison Island pelicans have tags that are green with white writing and have a three character, alphanumeric code in large type.  Above the code is the word "utah" in small type.  You may also see red or black wing tags on the right wing only.  These pelicans were banded in Idaho at Minidoka NWR and Blackfoot Reservoir, respectively.

Check out the attached photos showing the wing tags.

Thanks for your help,

John Neill
Avian Biologist

Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
4790 S 7500 W

Hooper, Utah 84315

801-231-2019 (Cell)
wildlife.utah.gov/gsl

wildlife.utah.gov/gsl/waterbirdsurvey