More from Bear River

Speaking of elegant wading birds...I present the Stilt.

American Stilt

This delicate little bird looks like it is walking on pink stilts.


An all white, medium sized egret at the refuge, the Snowy Egret was brought to the edge of extinction back int he 1800s when it was killed for its delicate, long plumes to decorate women's hats.

Snowy Egret

Another very common bird at the Bear River Refuge was American Coot.

American Coot

Shaped like a small, round duck (the rugby ball to the duck's football--short and squat vs aerodynamic), the Coot feeds on grasses and aquatic vegetation. Its wide, flat, feet allow it to walk on weed beds as well as stir up the shallows of a pond to up root submerged plants

One of the most colorful of the water fowls is the Cinnamon Teal.

Cinnamon Teal

And one of the largest is the White Pelican.

White Pelican