Riding in an airboat, the sun is shining but there is a haze in the air stemming from wildfires raging in California to the west. There is a shimmer on the horizon in what looks at first like the water is sparkling, but we get closer only to realize it is the mirrored reflection of thousands of American Avocets. The magical experience of being surrounded by Black-necked Stilts, American White Pelicans and Wilson’s Phalaropes on Great Salt Lake will leave a lasting impression. Great Salt Lake is one of those special places—iconic, steeped in history and uniquely tied to its local community. While its ecological values may not always be the first things that come to mind, the importance of this lake and its associated wetlands to birds cannot be stressed enough. As the largest in a network of landlocked saltwater lakes found throughout the Intermountain West, Great Salt Lake acts as a beacon for millions of migrating shorebirds and waterbirds crossing an otherwise arid...