Bird-Watching in Grand Teton NP

Bird-Watching

With more than 300 species of birds in the park, the Tetons make for excellent bird-watching country. Here you might spot both the calliope hummingbird (the smallest North American hummingbird) and the trumpeter swan (the world's largest waterfowl). The two riparian habitats described below draw lots of attention, but there are many other bird-busy areas as well. Birds of prey circle around Antelope Flats Road; for instance, the surrounding fields are good hunting turf for red-tailed hawks and prairie falcons. At Taggart Lake you'll see woodpeckers, bluebirds, and hummingbirds. Look for songbirds, such as pine and evening grosbeaks and Cassin's finches, in surrounding open pine and aspen forests.

Oxbow Bend. Some seriously impressive birds tend to congregate at this quiet spot. In spring white pelicans stop by during their northerly migration; in summer, bald eagles, great blue herons, and osprey nest nearby. Year-round you'll have a good chance of seeing trumpeter swans. Nearby Willow Flats has similar birdlife, plus sandhill cranes. U.S. 89/191/287, 2 mi east of Jackson Lake Junction.

Phelps Lake. The moderate 2-mi round-trip Phelps Lake Overlook Trail takes you up conifer- and aspen-lined glacial moraine to a view that's accessible only by trail. Expect abundant birdlife: Western tanagers, northern flickers, and ruby-crowned kinglets thrive in the bordering woods, and hummingbirds feed on scarlet gilia beneath the overlook. Don't neglect the newly opened Phelps Lake Trail. Moose-Wilson Rd., about 3 mi off Teton Park Rd., 1 mi north of Moose Junction.