Wing Tagged Pelicans

[John Neill]

We are getting a bit late in the season for pelicans, but we are still seeing young of the year pelicans in the wetlands surrounding Great Salt Lake.  When you see pelicans keep an eye out for green wing tags on these birds.  This year on Gunnison Island in Great Salt Lake 540 juvenile American white pelicans were banded and wing tagged on both wings.

Reporting your sightings to reportband.gov will help us track pelican movements both locally and regionally.  At the end of last month we had one of the pelicans banded this year turn up west of Fort Collins, Colorado.  

The tags are green with white writing and have a three character, alphanumeric code in large type.  Above the code is the word "UTAH" in small letters.  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,

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