288
[-Auk
Sanctuaries
ofGreat
SaltLake.
SANCTUARIES
OF THE
GREAT
nY
DR.
BIRD
SALT
•O•N
W.
ISLANDS
[July
OF
LAKEJ
SUGDEN.
GREATSALTLAKE in the north-centralpart of Utah is the secondlargest
body of water within the confinesof the United States,beingeclipsedonly
by Lake Michigan. It has the highestsalinecontentof any other similar
lake. At averagelevel the specificgravity of the water is about 1.13 but
this year, sincethe level has droppedbelow the lowestrecordedmark, the
specificgravity has a correspondingincreaseand now is about 1.2. It is
essentiallya saturatedsalt solutionand the largesquarecrystalsof sodium
chlorideare beingdepositedon the sandof the bottom, on the hulls of the
boatsand on any foreignsubstanceplacedin the water.
Ecologicallythe waters of the lake constitute a physiologicaldesert.
No largeanimalsand only a few smallformshavebeenableto adaptthemselvesto the unusual environmentand so far as known no parasiteshave
been able to follow them into the brine.
The flora is restricted to one of the
blue-greenalgae(Aphanothece
utahensis)
a few unicellulargreenalgaeanda
few diatomes. The formeroccursin considerable
amountandis the principle
sourceof food supply. The most notable organismis the brine shrimp
(Artemiagracilis)which passesits entire developmentto sexualmaturity
in the briny waterspropagatingparthenogenetically
aswell as by fertilized
eggs. Two brine flies (Ephydrahiansand Ephydragracills),have strictly
aquaticeggs,larvaeand pupae,the larvaehavingthe breathingtube transformed into trachealgills so that they need not cometo the surfaceto
breathe. The massesof floatingpupaemay be seenas brownishstreaks
in the water and whenthey collectalongthe shoresgreatwindrows,often
many inchesthick, are formed. They are usedas food by birds, suchas
the migratingflocksof Northern Phalarope,the Eared Grebe, California
Gull, certainDucks and others. Theseextensivecollections
of fly pupae
alongthe shoresare mentionedin the writingsof the early explorersandthe
Indiansformerlycollectedthemfor food. The gnats,of course,areliberated
on the surfaceof the water and collectin largeswarmsalongthe shoreand
for some distance inward and furnish food for some birds and the common
spidersof the region.
The largerislandsare arrangedin two longitudinalgroups. Fremontand
AntelopeIslandsform an extensionsouthwardfrom the PromontoryRidge
• Read at the Fifty-second Meeting of tho American Ornithologists' Union,
twenty-fourth, 1934, at Chicago, Illinois.
October
Dr. A.M. Woodbury, of tho Department of Ornithology of the University of Utah, h•s
allowed the author accessto his •es of correspondenceand they have been usedfreely in rio
presentaton
of this problem,
¾oi. LIIi']
1Oa6
J
SUGI)EN,
Sanctuaries
ofGreat
•aZt
Lake.
289
extendinginto the lake from the north. Stansburyand CartingtonIslands
are outpostsof the 0quirrh range of mountainswhich extendsalong the
western border of the Salt Lake Valley.
The bird rookeriesare on the four smaller islandswhich furnish nesting
sitesfor Pelicans,Cormorants,Heronsand thousandsof Gulls. In the order
of their size they are Gunnison,Hat, Egg and White Rock Islands. In
this discussionthe followingrookery birds are considered:
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocoraxauritus auritus), Treganza
Blue Heron (Ardea herodiastreganzai),AmericanWhite Pelican (Pelecanus
erythrorhynchos)
and CaliforniaGull (Laruscalifornicus).
GunnisonIsland in the northernpart of the lake has an area of about
eighty acresand harborsbreedingcoloniesof Gulls,Pelicans,and Herons.
Because
of its positionit is the leastaccessable
of the islandsbut evenhere
the birds have beendisturbedby maraudingparties. Most boatsdepart
from Saltalr, a resort on the shoresof the lake, and to reach the island
necessitates
a comparativelylong water trip which becauseof the briny
water and the frequentsuddenstormsmight easilybe dangerous.
To reachthe islandfrom the west,a longtrip aroundthe northendof the
lake must be taken, over poor or non-existingroadsand over part of the
Great Salt Desert. This area extendswestwardas a great, fiat, absolutely
barren,glisteningexpanse
of crystallizedsalt periodicallyfloodedfor miles
when the wind blowsfrom the east. There is no fresh water in this region.
Hat Island, sonamedby Capt. Stansburybecauseof its fancifulresemblanceto the hatsof that period,is nowusuallyreferredto as Bird Island.
It hasan area of about twenty-two acresand is used-byGulls,Pelicansand
Heronsduring the nestingseason. At one time a few CaspianTernshad
nestsalongthe sandy shorebut they have long sincedesertedthe island.
The Gullsoccupymostof the areaand their nestsmay be foundin every
conceivable
place;amongthe rocks,underthe sagebrush,besidethe driftwoodon the shoreand at the top of the island. The nestsare madeof
sticks,twigs, bonesand feathersand becausethere is a limited supplyof
nestingmaterial, coinpetitionamongthe birds is keen and the nestsare
considerablysmallerthan in other locationswherethere is an abundance.
The usualcomplementof eggsis two or three.
After the Gulls have occupiedtheir site, the Pelicanscollectin nesting
communities
usuallyabout the mid-portionof the islandand placetheir
nestsin groups. The nestmay be only a shallowdepression
in the ground
amonga scatteringof sticks,bones,rocks,dirt andexcrement,
or if on a slope
the lowerportionis uauallybuilt up soas to makethe top of the nestlevel.
Two, occasionally
threeandrarelymore,eggsarea•idin the nest. TheHeron
nestsare usuallyon the easternsideof the islandwherethe sagebrushis
larger. Sticksand twigs are piled into a living sagebushto constructa
290
[Auk
suo.•,N,
Sanctuaries
ofGreat
Salt
Lake.
[July
platform which may be as high as four feet above the ground. Three or
four of the large blue eggsare usually laid.
On Egg Island are found Gulls, Heronsand Cormorantsand this island
has the distinctionof beingthe tbrpelocality of Treganza'sBlue Heron and
the only islandon the lake occupiedby Cormorants. The islandis merely a
groupof outlyingrocksnorthof AntelopeIsland andis devoidof all vegetation. It is readily reachedby boat or directly from AntelopeIsland by
waxtinga short distance. Nests of the Cormorantsand Herons are similar
but the latter are usually larger. They are piles of sticks, bones,brush
and mud. Those of the Cormorant are often liberally sprinkled with
regurgitatedfish, the decomposition
of which givesa characteristicif not
unusual stench. However, the rains and snowsof winter, the hot sun and
the brine effecta completecleansingof the islandby the followingspring.
In a small lagoon off the northwest shoreof Antelope Island is White
RockIsland,a largerockwith perpendicular
sidesrisingabruptlyout of the
water. Becauseof the contour,it is difficultto effecta landingfrom a boat.
Only the Gullsmaintain a colonyhere but someyearsago,possiblyfifteen
or twenty, there were alsoHerons.
The first descriptionsof the birds of the islandsand the marshesof the
vicinity weremadeby the early explorerswhowereimpressed
by the untold
myriadsof waterfowl. Fremontvisitedthe deltaof the Bear River, Septem-
ber3,1843,andrepeatedlydescribes
the soundof theflyingbirdsas"a noise
like thunder." Capt. Stansburyin his explorationand survey of Great
Salt Lake in 1849 to 1851 located and described the islands and was im-
pressedwith the numbers of Gulls, Pelicans, Herons and Cormorants.
Apparently at that time Hat Island was not occupiedas no mention is
made of the birds in his journal.
The presentcausefor alarm is in the persistentand progressivedecline
in the numbersof thesebirdswith the exceptionof the Gulls. The other
three, the fish-eatingbirds, have reachedthe point in the reductionof their
numberswhen the minimal densityis beingexceededand the extinctionof
the Herons and Cormorantsin this locationis seriouslythreatened. The
Pelicanson Great Salt Lake have not fared as badly but their position
is not secure,especiallysincethe Governmentgivesthis bird no protection.
They have been destroyed elsewhereand their numbers reduced as at
YellowstoneLake wherethey feedupongamefish. The total population
in the United States has been decreasingand breedingcolonieselsewhere
abandonedsoit may be the presentpopulationon the Great Salt Lake has
beenbolsteredup by the remnantsof coloniesthat have ceased.
There can be no doubt but that the Cormorants
and Herons are de-
creasing. Behlehascollectedall the availabledata pertainingto this region
and
concludes that
"the
Double-crested
Cormorants
have
decreased
'Vol. LIII'[
1936J
SUGDEN,
Sanctuaries
ofGreat
SaltLake.
291
alarmingly in numbersfrom 500 on Egg Island in 1915 to 100 in 1932.
Treganza'sBlue Heronshave beenreducedfrom 400 on Hat Island alonein
1915 to 96 on all the islandsin 1932." Last yeaxthere were only two Heron
nestson Hat Island and not over eighty youngCormorantswererearedon
Egg Island to the stagewherethey couldtake to the water and care for
themselves.
The cause of the reduction in numbers is not due to the location.
Breed-
ing as they do on islandsin the extremelysalty lake they enjoy complete
protectionfrom all larger organismexcept man. There are no fish in
Great Salt Lake but there is an abundant food supply in the marshesand
sloughsat the mouthsof the Jordan,Weber and Bear Rivers, the enclosures
of the BearRiver RefugeandUtah Lake fartherto the south. This necessitates the birdsflying thirty to onehundredmilesfrom the breedinggrounds
to the sourceof food supply but their strongwings are adequateto carry
them on their dailyforagingexpeditions.Therehavebeenno epidemics
or
sicknessas has occurredamongthe westernDucks. Suchother factorsas
increasein natural enemieshas not been present and with the breeding
rangethe sameas before,the foodsupplyand the feedingareasthe sameor
even increasedbecauseof the recent addition of the pondsmade by the
diking at the Bear River Refuge,the only other seriouslylimiting factor
is the persistentinterferenceof man.
The CaliforniaGull haslocal public opinionin its favor sincethe summer
of 1848whenit feduponthe swarmsof mormoncrickets(Anabrussimplex),
that were destroyingthe first cropsof the pioneers. Since then it has
learnednew feedinghabits and regularlyacts as a scavengerat the dump
heaps,patrols the city streetsfor miscellaneous
material, cleansup the
noon-daylunch scrapsfrom the schoolgroundsand has even developeda
methodof pickingcherriesfrom the trees.
The Herons, Cormorantsand Pelicansdependupon the fish from the
streamsand fresh water lakes. The Herons occasionally
feed alongsome
of the canyonstreamsand do obtainsometrout and gamefish and a few
havelearnedthat fishmay be obtainedat someof the fishhatcheries. This
is certainly not the usual procedureand is only the habit of a few
individuals.
Nevertheless,
the fish-eatingpropensities
of thesebirdshavearousedthe
enmityof certainfishermen,
huntersand so-calledsportsmen
of the state,
who have persistentlywageddestructionat every opportunityand their
work has often been with the knowledgeof the fish and game department. The movement has even been encouragedby the furnishing of
ammunition
for the hunters.
A rookeryof Treganza'sHeronsin a groveof cottonwoodtrees on the
west shoreof Utah Lake was totally destroyeda few years ago under such
292
Sanctuaries
ofGreat
SaltLake.
[Auk
LJuly
encouragement.The adults and young were ruthlesslykilled and the
fledglingsleft to starvein the nests. The abandonednestsin the treesnow
stand as the result of the completeexterminationof this colony. Other
colonieshave chosenthe rushesabout the sloughsand lakes. On several
occasionsthose on Utah Lake have been fired during the breeding season
and when visited the half cookedeggsand dead young werefound in the
burnednests. Not only the Heronsbut Egrets,Ducks and other marsh
birdshave sufferedby this unwonteddestructiveprocedure. Similar raids
by Idaho sportsmenhave been made upon the colonyof Cormorantsat
Bear Lake a few years ago,resultingin a large destructionof the eggsand
young. Any bird that eats fish is the subject of persecution. On Utah
Lake, the smallcolonyof CaspianTerns,the only onein the state,hasbeen
raided, all the eggsgatheredup and broken againstthe rocks. Every
isolatedHeron, standingquietly at the edgeof a slough,waiting to catch
a frog, a fish or other food is shot at by hunters and fishermenat every
opportunity.
Few, if any, birds, especially if gregarious,can withstand repeated
molestationand destructiveraids during their breeding season,the most
vulnerableperiodin the life of the species. The colonyof Cormorantson
Egg Island is the only one on Great Salt Lake and probablythe only one
in the state and last year it was able to producelessthan one hundred
young to hazard the dangersof the first migration.
Another detrimental factor is the frequent visits of large parties of
picnickerssuch as the one last year that was maroonedon Hat Island.
On these occasions
the Pelicansimmediatelydesertthe nestsleaving the
youngand eggsto the devastatingeffectof the hot sun and the rapacious
appetitesof the Gulls.
The evidenceagainst these birds has been basedupon insufficientfacts
and faulty reasoningand the hasty conclusionthat the fish-eatingbirds
are the causeof the decreasingsupply of game fish is entirely erroneous.
Other factors as over fishing,stream polution, illegal methodsof fishing,
diversionof water, etc., are rarely considered. Behle has conclusively
shown,based on stomachanalysesand the examinationof regurgitated
material of adultsand young,that thesebirds are utilizing the slow-moving,
non-gamefish suchas carp, chubsand suckersand that only occasionally
can the remains of trout or bass be found. They are thus of distinct
economicvalue by tending to limit the herbivorouscarp that eatsout the
plant foodsupplyand pollutesthe water, makingit impossible
for gamefish
to live. The carp,especially,hasmultipliedup to the limit of foodsupply
and as suchis competingwith Ducks and other gamebirds for the water
plantssonecessary
for Duck food. Hull considers
the Pelicansa greatasset
in controllingthe ravagesof the fishin the pondsat the BearRiver Game
Vol.
LIIIIJ
1936
SUODEI•,
Sanctuarie•
ofGreat
SaltLake.
293
Refuge. The problemat the Yellowstoneis not analogous.There the only
fish concernedare trout. It has been shownat Pyramid Lake, Nevada,
that as the fish-eatingbirds decreased,the game fish also decreased. The
intermediatefactors must be consideredin the problem of food chains.
Reduction at the top of the chain disturbsthe balanceand doesnot necessarily causean increaseat the far end. The intermediate organismsmay
assumealarmingproportions.
A further factor shouldalsobe seriouslyconsidered. The aestheticvalue
of large numbersof thesecharacteristicbig birds as attractionsfor recreational, educational,and tourist study cannot be overlooked. The variety
and numbersof wild life undoubtedlyis a major attraction of the Yellowstone. The bird refugesof the lower reachesof the MississippiRiver are
already widely known and are attracting visitors. It is possiblethat these
attractive birds as a sourceof revenuealone,may outweighthe value of the
few gamefishthat they consume. The Bear River Wild Fowl Refugewill be
an attraction not only for the propagationof Ducks and Geesebut because
of the large numbersof other birds that can easily be seenin their natural
surroundings.One hundredand eighty-three specieshave already been
listed as occurringon the refuge and fifty differentbirds might easily be
observedin one morning.
It is difficult to get those that formulate the plans and policiesof. wild
life administrationto considermuchexceptthe exploitationof gameor the
propagationof speciesto be usedas game. Stepshave beentaken to bring
theseislandsunder Federal control and Hat Island was actually designated
as a bird refugeuntil a revocationof the order was passedMay 12, 1980,
when it was learned that the island had been patented as a mineral claim
becauseof the guanodeposits. Thesedepositshaveprovedvaluelessdueto
the difficulty of their removal and the small amount, mostof the accumulation of the summerbeingwashedaway duringthe winter. The sameis true
of GunnisonIsland. ApparentlyWhite Rock and Egg Island have never
been surveyed. The present owners have raised little objection to the
propositionbecausethey have beenunableto gatherany revenuefrom their
possessions.
The BiologicalSurvey has been repeatedlyadvisedof the condition
and has expressedits interest. The proposalalong with othershas been
presentedto the President'sCommitteeon Wild Life Restorationby being
included in the recommendationsrecently submitted through the Fish
and Game Commissionbut as yet, no actionhas beentaken. It was hoped
that in their proposedsetup theseislandsmight be includedas breeding
groundsof migratory birds on marginal lands of low value. The wheelsof
the machinerymay move too slowly.
The suggestionof making the islandsState Refugescould hardly be
294
SUdDeN,
Sanctuaries
ofGrea•
SaltLake.
['Auk
[July
considered.It seemsinadvisableto entrustthe protectionto thoseprimarily
concernedwith gameexploitationparticularly since,in the past, they have
had the opportunity of applying conservativemeasuresbut have only
expressed
passiveapprovaland veiledpromises.
Various other agenciesare sympatheticwith the program and have
assuredtheir support. Publicbackingof a programto establishsanctuaries
on the bird rookery islands seemsassured. The private holdingsare
essentiallyvaluelessand there shouldbe little dii•culty in a6quiringthem
undera federalplan, wherethey couldeasilybe administeredundernational
control,possiblyas a part of the Bear River Project.
In conclusion,
may this thoughtbe repeated. The bird islandsof Great
Salt Lake harboringrookerlesof White Pelican, Treganza'sBlue Heron,
Double-crestedCormorantand California Gull have, with the exceptionof
the Gulls,had a progressive
declinein their population,too long continued
and too steady to be of a cyclic character so that at present the actual
extinction of these birds in this location seemsimminent. They have a
distinct aestheticvalue and economicallytheir beneficialhabits outweigh
any destructivetraits. With the declineof birds in other regionsand the
necessityfor controlof numbers,in instanceswherethe conditionswarrant
it, theseislandsmightbe ableto maintaina breedingpopulationto preserve
the race. It is earnestlyrecommended
that theseislandsbe broughtunder
Federalmanagementas breedingsitesof migratorybirds.
REFERENCES.
COURT,E. J.
Treganza'sBlue Heron, Auk, 25, pp. 291-296, pls. 5-6, 1908.
HALL, E. RAYMOND
PelicansversusFishesin Pyramid Lake, Condor, 27, pp. 147-160, 1925.
HULL, ARCHIEV.
Birds of the Bear River Marshesand Vicinity Comprisingthe Area of the Bear
River MigratoryBird Refuge,with corrections
madeApril 28, 1933.
THOMPSON,BEN H.
Historyand PresentStatusof the BreedingColoniesof the White Pelicanin the
UnitedStates,U.S. Dept. Interior, NationalPark Service,Contributionof Wild
Life Division, OccasionalPaper No. 1, pp. 10-82, 1933.
WOODBURY,
A.M., ANDBEHLE,W. H.
The Bird Rookeries of the Islands of Great Salt Lake. Proc. Utah Acad. Sci.,
10, p. 165, 1933.
Universityof Utah,
Salt Lake City, Utah.