Mono Lake is a salt lake at the foot of the Sierra Nevada near Lee Vining. Its brine shrimp and alkali flies feed some of the largest bird gatherings in western North America. The Mono Lake Committee counts more than 300 bird species in the Mono Basin, including more than 118 that nest in the watershed. Mono Lake is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network because of its phalaropes, gulls and grebes.
California Gulls: one of the continent's largest colonies
About 50,000 California Gulls nest on Mono Lake's islands each summer. The Mono Lake Committee calls it one of the largest gull rookeries in North America, and Kenn Kaufman gave the same figure in Audubon's 2016 western birding-trails feature. Most gulls historically nested on Negit Island, a black cinder cone north of Paoha Island. In 1977, falling lake levels exposed a landbridge to the mainland. Coyotes crossed it and preyed on chicks, and the gulls abandoned Negit. Today most of the colony nests on small islets off Negit's north shore. The gulls winter on the Pacific coast. The Committee lists drought, fluctuating lake levels and an invasive weed as continuing threats.
Researchers have monitored Mono Lake's California Gulls since 1983, which the Committee calls one of the longest-running bird studies in the western US. Each year includes a nest count around Memorial Day, a chick-banding trip in July and a fledgling count in early September.
Eared Grebes: a fall spectacle
Aerial surveys have counted 1–2 million Eared Grebes on Mono Lake in fall, a large share of North America's population. The grebes feed on brine shrimp and alkali flies and can nearly triple their weight before flying on to wintering areas such as the Salton Sea and Baja California. Researchers have studied them at Mono Lake every year since 1996. Kaufman wrote that close to a million Eared Grebes stop at the lake during migration.
Phalaropes: refueling for a 3,000-mile flight
Wilson's Phalaropes arrive in mid-summer by the tens of thousands. They molt and roughly double their weight, then make a non-stop flight of about 3,000 miles to saline lakes in South America. Red-necked Phalaropes also stop at Mono Lake but winter on the open Pacific. Phalarope numbers vary greatly from year to year.
Ospreys on the tufa
Ospreys are a newer part of the Mono Lake story. The first pair arrived in the mid-1980s, and more than a dozen pairs have nested each year since 2020, according to the Mono Lake Committee. Mono County's tourism office notes that Ospreys often nest on the lake's tufa towers. South Tufa is a frequently mentioned viewing area.
When to go
| Season | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Late spring–early fall | The Committee says this is the best time to see and hear the largest number of Mono Basin species |
| Summer | California Gull nesting season; Wilson's Phalaropes arrive mid-summer |
| Migration | Shorebirds along the shoreline |
| Fall | Eared Grebe numbers peak; waterfowl gather from September |
The Committee notes that, before Los Angeles began diverting the lake's streams, an estimated one million waterfowl stopped at Mono Lake each fall.
Where to watch
- Mono Lake County Park is the Mono Lake Committee's top recommendation, because several habitats meet in one place. A May 2019 Committee field report logged Lewis's Woodpeckers and nest-building Ospreys there.
- South Tufa is often recommended for Osprey viewing.
- Along the shore: the same field report mentions Rock Wren and Spotted Sandpiper at the Old Marina, Yellow Warbler at the Lee Vining Creek delta, and Gray Flycatcher, Sage Thrasher and Sagebrush Sparrow toward the south shore.
- Guided walks: the Committee offers free bird tours. The Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua, a June festival, offers field trips such as Lee Vining Canyon walks.
Why the lake level matters
The Mono Lake Committee was founded in 1978 by David Gaines and colleagues after the lake shrank under water diversions to Los Angeles. In 1994 the California State Water Resources Control Board ordered enough water released to the lake to raise its level by 17.4 feet. The gull colony's history on Negit Island shows why: when the water dropped, a landbridge let predators reach nesting birds.
Sources
- Birds — Mono Lake Committee
- 2013 California Gull nest count marks 30 years of research — Mono Lake Committee
- Birds galore in the Mono Basin — Mono Lake Committee (2019)
- Birding Trails: West — Audubon (2016)
- Bird Watching — Mono County Tourism
- Mono Lake Committee — Wikipedia
- Birding Lee Vining Canyon (field trip) — Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua