Bird-watchers can get look at 2 rare species

Two species of rare birds will be on display Saturday in a pair of bird-watching events sponsored by the Division of Wildlife Resources.

The DWR's annual California condor viewing event, "The Day of the Condor," will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at an area 21 1/2 miles north of Virgin in southwestern Utah. The California condor is the largest flying bird in the Northern Hemisphere, with a body measuring about 4 to 5 feet long from head to tail, a wingspan of about 9 1/2 feet and a weight of between 16 and 23 pounds.

Biologists from the DWR, the National Park Service and the Peregrine Fund will be available to answer visitors' questions. Free information about condors will also be available, and Zion National Park will not charge an entrance fee on Saturday.

For information, call the DWR's Southern Region office at 435-865-6100.

Ospreys, a species of birds that are also called "flying fish hawks," will be on display near the dam at Flaming Gorge Reservoir on Saturday when the DWR hosts its annual "Osprey Watch." The free wildlife viewing event will be held on the peninsula that is located opposite the Flaming Gorge Dam visitors center in northeastern Utah.

"Flaming Gorge hosts one of the largest inland populations of ospreys in North America," said Ron Stewart, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR. "Last year, there were 36 active nests on the reservoir itself and another five below the dam. Several nests are visible in the area near the dam. You can see the nests easily from there."

The DWR will have spotting scopes set up between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Information about ospreys will also be available.

To reach the viewing site, visitors should turn into the Flaming Gorge Dam parking lot from Highway 191. After parking their cars, visitors should then walk to the bird-watching area located on the peninsula opposite the visitors center at the dam.

For more information, call the DWR's Northeastern Region office at 435-781-9453.