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The Great Salt Lake Bird Festival is one of the most unique bird festivals in the U.S. The field trips are held at some of the most amazing wildlife areas in the world and are abundant with bird life!
Jerry Liguori Author and Raptor Genius
Why Birdfest?
26th Annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival May is one of the best times to go birding across Utah.
Discover Davis, Utah’s Amusement Capital, is pleased to once again welcome you to the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival in beautiful northern Utah. Davis County is home to the Great Salt Lake, a major North/South migration route for more than 250 bird species, making it one of the top places for birders to catch unique glimpses of our many feathered friends. Not only is Davis County a great place to find a variety of majestic birds, it is the ideal location for festival goers to relax after a long day of birding. From hotels to dining and shopping to grabbing a quick breakfast before your adventure-filled day, you are in good hands as you go and Discover Davis!
Pitta's Birdfest Tour Offerings
Utah Highlights — $1,299-$1,599/person May 13-16, 2024 2 of 7 Spaces Available — Guide: Tim Avery
While some of the best high elevation sites are still inaccessible, many of the low elevation locations more than make up for birds with migrants! This tour will cover the entire western half of the state, starting at the Great Salt Lake, and then spending 3 days discovering the incredible birding anchored around the southwest corner of the state, Zion National Park and the Mojave Desert.
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Marathon Scouting — $149/person Wed, May 15, 2024 6 of 14 Spaces Available — Guides: Mike Hearell and Quinn Diaz
Join our guides on an exciting birding adventure! We'll explore the beautiful areas surrounding the Great Salt Lake, including its shores and wetlands, as well as the stunning canyons and mountains of the Wasatch front. Our goal is to spot up to 150 species and help our team plan for our faster paced Marathon Tour later in the week. Get ready for an unforgettable birding experience!
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Mountain Owls This Tour is Sold Out! Thu, May 16, 2024 Guides: Mike Hearell and Taylor Abbott
When birders think about owls, Utah probably isn’t near the top of their list of places to look. But 14 of the 19 regularly occurring species found in North America have been seen in Utah. The mountains along the Wasatch Front provide a great deal of habitat for many of these species, and this tour will provide an opportunity to look for several. The main target bird will be the Flammulated Owl, but others including the Northern Saw-whet Owl, Western Screech-Owl, Great Horned Owl, and Northern Pygmy-Owl may be seen. Other possible species we may encounter at dusk or while owling, include Common Poorwill and Hermit Thrush.
Marathon Birding This Tour is Sold Out! Sun, May 19, 2024 0 Spaces Available — Guides: Tim Avery, Mike Hearell, Taylor Abbott, and Kenny Frisch
What happens when four experienced birding guides come together for an amazing adventure in northern Utah during migration? Marathon Birding!!! This tour has become a beloved tradition of the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival since 2008. It's a unique opportunity to witness the incredible spectacle of bird migration at its peak, all condensed into an action-packed 18-hour timeframe. Our goal is to spot more than 150 different bird species in a thrilling, fast-paced day of bird-filled excitement. Over the past 15 years, we've managed to average just over 150 species per day, and our highest record so far is 170 species in 2015.
Mountains in May This Tour is Sold Out! Sun, May 19, 2024 Guide: Quinn Diaz
Join us for a day exploring the Wasatch Mountains and the incredible birds that inhabit the west fringe of the Rocky Mountains. This brand new tour for 2024 will take us to a variety of montane locations and habitats to show not only the incredible variety of birds these mountains call home, but also the diversity in habitats from 4,500' in the foothills to over 10,000' at the tree line. Depending on snow pack conditions, and recent scouting trips, the actual itinerary for the day will be determined by the guides in the days leading up the event. Birding in mixed-oak woodlands, along montane riparian corridors, working our way to mid-elevations, and eventually mixed aspen and pine forests each unique ecosystem has a variety of birds tied to the habitats and in many cases elevations.
Post Festival Owling This Tour is Sold Out! Tue, May 21, 2024 Guides: Tim Avery and Taylor Abbott
The mountains just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah provide some of the closest and easiest to access nesting habitat for Flammulated Owls, and by far the best opportunity to see these birds anywhere in the world. Often one of the last North American owls for ABA listers, Utah has become the go-to location to see this bird! Once dark (usually about 15-30 minutes after sunset), we will use our time-tested techniques to illicit a response from an owl. Once we've found a responsive individual we'll attempt to track the bird down, and breifly shine our low-temp LED spotlight near the bird, and use a laser pointer to provide directions to see the tiny owl. Often times other nocturnal birds show up on this tour. Common Poorwill is encountered with some frequency, while Northern Saw-whet Owl and Ruffed Grouse shows up from time to time as well.
Looking for something else? Want to go somewhere not listed? Besides our set tours, we have experience birding all over the world and know numerous talented and local guides. We can help put you in touch with the right guides in the right places. Just Ask!
Still have questions? Ready to book a tour? Either way tapping the buttons below will put you in touch with us!
90 Reviews
2020, '22, & '23 Trip Advisor Travelers' Choice Award Consistently earning great reviews from birders!
Top Rated Wildlife Tour
in Salt Lake City
Himalayan Snowcock and Cassia Crossbill! Another trip with Tim, another success! These were the “big two” for this trip and Tim delivered in spades.
Paul K Most Wanted , 2018
Recent Tours & Updates
August 27-29, 2023
2023 Himalayan Snowcock Expedition
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July 27-31, 2023
2023 Most Wanted
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July 25-30, 2023
2023 Georgia Audubon Custom
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June 15-17, 2023
2023 Cassia Crossbills & More
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April 18-24, 2023
2023 Texas - LRGV, Aransas, & Hill Country Custom
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January 12-23, 2023
2023 Chiapas
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August 28-30, 2022
2022 Himalayan Snowcock Expedition
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July 19-23, 2022
2022 Most Wanted #2
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July 15-19, 2022
2022 Most Wanted #1
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June 23-25, 2022
2022 Cassia Crossbills & More
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May 11-14, 2022
2022 Utah Highlights
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August 5-9, 2021
2021 Most Wanted #2
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July 30 - August 1, 2021
2021 Himalayan Snowcock Expedition
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July 25-30, 2021
2021 Georgia Audubon Custom
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mountain West Birding Company?
When we started guiding in 2007, we never imagined taking our tours beyond the confines of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada—thus Mountain West Birding Company was born. Mountain West specialized in Flammulated Owl, Himalayan Snowcock, and Cassia Crossbill Tours.
Why did you change your name to Pitta?
After a decade leading tours in the western United States we expanded our offering with new tours in Southeast Asia and Central America. As we work on expanding further and offering more International options,, we decided we needed a name that reflected that change!
Check out our FAQs page to see more questions and answers!
Recent Photos from Our Utah Tours
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