Images

The medium sized Snowy Egret is a regal looking heron. Mature Snowy Egrets are all white with black bill, black legs and yellow feet.

Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies at the southern end of Ruby Valley in northeast Nevada. For more information visit the Ruby Lake NWR website.

These large birds live in open habitats like wetlands, fields, and prairies across North America. Looking closely you can see the crane on the left is banded with a GPS tracker on its right side leg.

Malheur Lake, a saline lake in eastern Oregon, photographed from a USGS airboat. USGS has been monitoring water quality parameters including temperature, turbidity, and pH in the lake since 2017.

USGS scientists check breach on glass-calm Great Salt Lake in surreal light.

The American Avocet is a shorebird that belongs to the genus Recurvirostra, from the Latin word recurves - curves backwards- and rostum - bill. Male Avocet's have longer bills and females have more curvature. 

A pair of American avocets wading in a saline lake in the Great Basin. Many bird species rely on food resources found in saline lakes, such as brine shrimp and brine flies.

Pelican Lake, a saline lake in the Warner Valley of Oregon, taken during a survey of water bird nesting colonies. The saline lakes of the Great Basin are important habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Cattle grazing in the Warner Valley, a valley within the Great Basin that contains several saline lakes. The cows were photographed during a survey of waterbird nesting colonies.

A heron colony in Pelican Lake, a saline lake in the Warner Valley of Oregon. Pelican Lake is an important habitat for water birds.

The nesting site for a colony of herons near Pelican Lake. Pelican Lake is a saline lake in the Warner Valley that is an important habitat for waterbirds.

Summer Lake, a saline lake in Oregon. The saline lakes of the Great Basin are important habitats for migratory birds and other wildlife.

An American avocet feeding in Summer Lake, a saline lake in Oregon. The avocet was photographed while conducting research on environmental contaminants in the Great Basin.

Black-necked stilts feeding in the Summer Lake Wildlife Area in Oregon. The stilts were observed by USGS scientists conducting environmental contaminant research.

A western grebe in Summer Lake, a saline lake in Oregon that is an important habitat for waterbirds. The grebe was photographed during a survey of waterbird nesting colonies.

A long-billed curlew wading in the Summer Lake Wildlife Area. Summer Lake is a saline lake in Oregon that is an important habitat for waterbirds.

An American avocet wading in Summer Lake, a saline lake in Oregon. Summer Lake is an important habitat for migratory water birds.

Dry wetlands around Summer Lake photographed during a drought in 2011. Summer Lake is a saline lake in Oregon that is an important habitat for waterbirds.

An American avocet wading in a pond near Crane Hot Springs in Oregon. The avocet was observed while conducting research on environmental contaminants in the Great Basin.

A yellow-headed blackbird perched on the shore of Malheur Lake, a saline lake in Oregon. Malheur Lake is an important habitat for many species of birds.

The White Faced Ibis is not always white-faced. This elegantly arching bird is a nonbreeding adult and therefore missing the white border around the eye.