The Great Migration
Welcome! You're about to embark on a journey that many thousands of birds take every year. An integral stop along the way is at Great Salt Lake, where your cross-country traveling bird will need to stop to rest and refuel. Your first decision of this adventure is to choose your bird.
White Pelican
Eared Grebe
Wilson's Phalarope
Let's get started!
CHOOSE YOUR BIRD
a ride down the west coast
You are a white pelican living on the west coast of North America. You've been living happily on the fish you catch in the lakes and ocean, but the time to migrate to your native breeding grounds is coming nearer. You need to prepare for your migration to Great Salt Lake.
you are here
Eat ocean fish
Eat lake fish
you have enough energy to migrate to great salt lake
Next
You arrive at Great Salt Lake. Your pelican ancestors have been nesting on Hat and Gunnison island, two of the many islands of Great Salt Lake. You find a good place to roost on Gunnison Island. But before you start making a nest, you need to find a mate!
you are here
Find your mate!
FIND YOUR MATE
Can you pair each bird with its mate?
you have Found a mate!
Next
You and your mate notice some new kinds of animals in this new environment. Gunnison Island should be a safe place to nest, but you decide to scope out your surroundings first-- just to be safe.
you are here
Check out the local wildlife
Guess the Animal
5 questions · 20 seconds each
Start
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
After you find your mate, the next step is to build a nest. Where do you choose to build your nest?
In the tall grass near the water
you are here
In the brush at the top of the hill
On the rocky shore
You and your mate have two eggs. Unfortunately, some oblivious humans trekked through the grass, disturbing your nest. Just one of your two eggs hatch. At first, the chick is small and helpless, fully reliant on its parents. But after 3 weeks, they learn to swim. After 10 weeks, they learn to fly!
Continue on
You and your mate have two eggs. You chose a good spot to nest, because nothing gives you much trouble. Both of your eggs hatch. At first, the chicks are small and helpless, fully reliant on their parents. After 3 weeks, they learn to swim. After 10 weeks, they learn to fly!
Continue on
You and your mate have two eggs. The water levels at Great Salt Lake are low this year—so low, that a land bridge forms from your rocky shore to the main land. A lone coyote takes advantage of the bridge, and crosses it to steal your eggs! Well, at least there's always next year.
Continue on
You continue your journey south and find a nice warm spot to stay in Mexico.
Congratulations! Thanks for playing!
you are here
a bird to baja
You are a male eared grebe. These Canadian lands are your native breeding ground, and you're looking for a mate.
you are here
Find your mate!
FIND YOUR MATE
Can you pair each bird with its mate?
you have Found a mate!
Next
Now that you have danced with your mate, you must gather the materials to build a nest. Where do you go to gather materials?
you are here
In the swampy marshes
In a shallow lake
In a still pond
You forage for nesting materials in a nearby marsh. You find some decent grass to gather, and build your floating nest. However, some seagulls don't appreciate your presence. They harass you, and you're forced to leave your nest and eggs behind. Oh well, there's always next year. But now, it's time to head south to Great Salt Lake.
you are here
Continue on
You start forage for nesting materials on the shore of the lake. However, construction on the lakeshore has destroyed much of the vegetation, and there's not enough for you to nest. You decide to try again somewhere else, and you're off to a river backwater!
Find a new spot
Better luck on the river! You find enoug materials to build your floating nest, and lay three eggs. After incubating, one hatches, and you carry it on your back for its first week because it's not yet waterproof! Time to continue south to Great Salt Lake.
Continue on
You forage for nesting materials on a still pond. You lay three eggs and take turns incubating them with you mate. All three hatch, and after carrying them on your back for a bit, you make your way south to Great Salt Lake!
Continue on
game
Life Cycle of a Brine Shrimp
You begin to migrate to Great Salt Lake. There, a buffet of brine shrimp are waiting for you! Eared grebes rely on adult brine shrimp while fueling up at Great Salt Lake. Fun fact: Eared grebes eat their own feathers to protect their stomach from the shrimp's sharp exoskeletons!
learn more
Sequence the Life Cycle of a Brine Shrimp
solution
instructions
Stage 1
Stage 4
Stage 3
Stage 2
You are almost at Great Salt Lake! Where do you decide to land?
Southern arm of the lake
you are here
Northern arm of the lake
Near Antelope Island
Oh no! Overcrowding at the lake causes bacteria levels in the water to rise and avian cholera to spread. Unfortunately, you contract the disease and your journey ends here.
you are here
Better luck next time!
Hurray, you've made it to Gilbert Bay, where there's still lots of brine shrimp to eat! You molt your feathers and gain a lot of weight, becoming temporarily flightless. Gradually, you rebuild your flight muscles, and are ready to continue your migration south.
you are here
Continue on
You complete you migration journey at your wintering grounds in Mexico. You've made it!
Congratulations! Thanks for playing!
you are here
There used to be brine shrimp in Gunnison Bay, but due to increased salinity, the brine shrimp can no longer survive, and you have nothing to eat. Now, you must battle winter storms as you attempt to relocate.
you are here
Brave the storm
You try your best to brave the storm with your flock, but the weather keeps getting worse. You see a lake from above, and some of your flock want to land to take refuge. What do you do?
you are here?
Take refuge
Tough it out
Is this... a lake? The shiny surface looks like water, but when you land-- ouch! You've crash landed right into a parking lot! Things are looking bad, you and your flock is too injured to continue. But when all looks lost, a few humans come and take you away. You are scared, but you've lost too much energy to fight back. If these strange animals are predators, you may be finished.
you are here?
Go with the humans
Thankfully, these humans are well meaning. Over a few months, you and your surviving flock members are nursed back to health. One by one, you are all released back into the wild. It's been a while, and the weather is warming up again. You have a very good sense of direction, so it's time to begin your migration again—not south, but back up north for the summer.
You survived! Thanks for playing!
As an eared grebe, you're not the most efficient flier. That becomes very clear when the sky opens up and the rain intensifies. You and your flock flies blind as the wind takes you wherever it blows.
you are here?
Continue on
You've been blown severely off course. Your flock spent all their stored-up energy going the wrong direction, so there's no going back now. You try to survive on this new island, but it's different. Some of your flock can't adapt to the different food and die. But, others and yourself make it work. Maybe this is the start of a unique, island-faring species of grebe.
you are here?
You survived! Thanks for playing!
a trip to the south
You are a female Wilson's phalarope. You're enjoying your time in the wide-open plains at the heart of North America. These are your native breeding lands, and it's your duty to find a mate before heading to the South American highlands for winter.
you are here
Find your mate!
FIND YOUR MATE
Can you pair each bird with its mate?
you have Found a mate!
Next
You sucessfully lay a nest of exactly four eggs, but you're not done. You leave the male to take care of your eggs, and you go to find another mate. Where do you look?
In the tall grass near the marsh
you are here
Along a floating log
In the shallow water
You poke around the tall grass for a bit, but you're not seeing any males. Plus, it's really quiet over here. Too quiet... Surprise! A raccoon pounces from behind the tall grass. It catches you, and you end up as lunch. Not exactly how you planned your day.
Better luck next time!
You find a promising looking male, but another female is closing in! It's time to fight! You put up a good fight and dish out the pecking and kicking. The rival female surrenders, and you're able to lay a sencond clutch of four eggs. Nice job!
Continue on
You look around the shallow water for a mate. However, the water is much more shallow than usual. Is there even water here at all? You fly over the mud for a while, noticing some human construction close by. It doesn't seem like the place to be. Oh well, it's almost time to migrate.
Continue on
It's time to migrate! Your journey will take you very far south, so you need to make an important stop at Great Salt Lake. Your flock makes a water landing at the southern arm of the lake. At the lake, you "vortex," or swim in a circle to catch your favorite food-- the tiny invetebrate brine shrimp that you love to eat!
you are here
Spend time with your flock at the lake
game
Complete the sentence
Complete the sentence about wilson's phalaropes
Complete the sentence about wilson's phalaropes
Complete the sentence about wilson's phalaropes
Complete the sentence about wilson's phalaropes
Now you need to fuel up for your trip! You need to eat lots of brine flies to build up some energy. It's crowded here, so you wonder if there's better food elsewhere. Where do you go to hunt for flies?
You look close by, in the southern arm
you are here
You fly off to look in the northern arm
In the southern arm, you find a feast of flies! You eat so many, you almost aren't able to fly. That's a good thing though! You have plenty of energy to continue far south.
Continue on
In the northern arm of the lake, you are met with strange pink water. And what's even stranger is that there are no brine flies here! What gives? Some of your flock stays and looks longer, while others leave to find food elsewhere. It looks like a storm is coming, so time is of the essence. What will you do?
Go back
Keep looking
You keep looking, but have no luck. You've spent too much of your energy to continue your migration. The storm traps you in the foodless part of the lake. You become stranded and die before the winter settles in. Maybe your friends in the southern arm had more luck?
Better luck next time!
With your abundance of stored energy, you make the long flight down to South America. You fly so far south infact, that the seasons are different here in the southern hemisphere. You enjoy a nice warm summer in your wintering grounds!
you are here
Good job! You completed your migration!
Drag and drop the cards to place them in the correct order.
Notice the brood sac on the adult female!
This is how big brine shrimp really are!
YOU SELECTED THE WHITE PELICAN
Is this your bird?
yes
no
Solution
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism--this means that the male and female look different!
Next
Eared grebe
White pelican
Wilson's phalarope
Common goldeneye
Northern shoveler
Solution
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism--this means that the male and female look different!
Next
Eared grebe
White pelican
Wilson's phalarope
Common goldeneye
Northern shoveler
YOU SELECTED THE WILSON'S PHALAROPE
Is this your bird?
yes
no
Solution
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism--this means that the male and female look different!
Next
Eared grebe
White pelican
Wilson's phalarope
Common goldeneye
Northern shoveler
YOU SELECTED THE EARED GREBE
Is this your bird?
yes
no
The Great Migration
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Transcript
The Great Migration
Welcome! You're about to embark on a journey that many thousands of birds take every year. An integral stop along the way is at Great Salt Lake, where your cross-country traveling bird will need to stop to rest and refuel. Your first decision of this adventure is to choose your bird.
White Pelican
Eared Grebe
Wilson's Phalarope
Let's get started!
CHOOSE YOUR BIRD
a ride down the west coast
You are a white pelican living on the west coast of North America. You've been living happily on the fish you catch in the lakes and ocean, but the time to migrate to your native breeding grounds is coming nearer. You need to prepare for your migration to Great Salt Lake.
you are here
Eat ocean fish
Eat lake fish
you have enough energy to migrate to great salt lake
Next
You arrive at Great Salt Lake. Your pelican ancestors have been nesting on Hat and Gunnison island, two of the many islands of Great Salt Lake. You find a good place to roost on Gunnison Island. But before you start making a nest, you need to find a mate!
you are here
Find your mate!
FIND YOUR MATE
Can you pair each bird with its mate?
you have Found a mate!
Next
You and your mate notice some new kinds of animals in this new environment. Gunnison Island should be a safe place to nest, but you decide to scope out your surroundings first-- just to be safe.
you are here
Check out the local wildlife
Guess the Animal
5 questions · 20 seconds each
Start
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
Slide the circle and discover what's hidden
01:00
Word Bank
Peregrine falcon Mule Deer Coyote Bison Pronghorn
Next
After you find your mate, the next step is to build a nest. Where do you choose to build your nest?
In the tall grass near the water
you are here
In the brush at the top of the hill
On the rocky shore
You and your mate have two eggs. Unfortunately, some oblivious humans trekked through the grass, disturbing your nest. Just one of your two eggs hatch. At first, the chick is small and helpless, fully reliant on its parents. But after 3 weeks, they learn to swim. After 10 weeks, they learn to fly!
Continue on
You and your mate have two eggs. You chose a good spot to nest, because nothing gives you much trouble. Both of your eggs hatch. At first, the chicks are small and helpless, fully reliant on their parents. After 3 weeks, they learn to swim. After 10 weeks, they learn to fly!
Continue on
You and your mate have two eggs. The water levels at Great Salt Lake are low this year—so low, that a land bridge forms from your rocky shore to the main land. A lone coyote takes advantage of the bridge, and crosses it to steal your eggs! Well, at least there's always next year.
Continue on
You continue your journey south and find a nice warm spot to stay in Mexico.
Congratulations! Thanks for playing!
you are here
a bird to baja
You are a male eared grebe. These Canadian lands are your native breeding ground, and you're looking for a mate.
you are here
Find your mate!
FIND YOUR MATE
Can you pair each bird with its mate?
you have Found a mate!
Next
Now that you have danced with your mate, you must gather the materials to build a nest. Where do you go to gather materials?
you are here
In the swampy marshes
In a shallow lake
In a still pond
You forage for nesting materials in a nearby marsh. You find some decent grass to gather, and build your floating nest. However, some seagulls don't appreciate your presence. They harass you, and you're forced to leave your nest and eggs behind. Oh well, there's always next year. But now, it's time to head south to Great Salt Lake.
you are here
Continue on
You start forage for nesting materials on the shore of the lake. However, construction on the lakeshore has destroyed much of the vegetation, and there's not enough for you to nest. You decide to try again somewhere else, and you're off to a river backwater!
Find a new spot
Better luck on the river! You find enoug materials to build your floating nest, and lay three eggs. After incubating, one hatches, and you carry it on your back for its first week because it's not yet waterproof! Time to continue south to Great Salt Lake.
Continue on
You forage for nesting materials on a still pond. You lay three eggs and take turns incubating them with you mate. All three hatch, and after carrying them on your back for a bit, you make your way south to Great Salt Lake!
Continue on
game
Life Cycle of a Brine Shrimp
You begin to migrate to Great Salt Lake. There, a buffet of brine shrimp are waiting for you! Eared grebes rely on adult brine shrimp while fueling up at Great Salt Lake. Fun fact: Eared grebes eat their own feathers to protect their stomach from the shrimp's sharp exoskeletons!
learn more
Sequence the Life Cycle of a Brine Shrimp
solution
instructions
Stage 1
Stage 4
Stage 3
Stage 2
You are almost at Great Salt Lake! Where do you decide to land?
Southern arm of the lake
you are here
Northern arm of the lake
Near Antelope Island
Oh no! Overcrowding at the lake causes bacteria levels in the water to rise and avian cholera to spread. Unfortunately, you contract the disease and your journey ends here.
you are here
Better luck next time!
Hurray, you've made it to Gilbert Bay, where there's still lots of brine shrimp to eat! You molt your feathers and gain a lot of weight, becoming temporarily flightless. Gradually, you rebuild your flight muscles, and are ready to continue your migration south.
you are here
Continue on
You complete you migration journey at your wintering grounds in Mexico. You've made it!
Congratulations! Thanks for playing!
you are here
There used to be brine shrimp in Gunnison Bay, but due to increased salinity, the brine shrimp can no longer survive, and you have nothing to eat. Now, you must battle winter storms as you attempt to relocate.
you are here
Brave the storm
You try your best to brave the storm with your flock, but the weather keeps getting worse. You see a lake from above, and some of your flock want to land to take refuge. What do you do?
you are here?
Take refuge
Tough it out
Is this... a lake? The shiny surface looks like water, but when you land-- ouch! You've crash landed right into a parking lot! Things are looking bad, you and your flock is too injured to continue. But when all looks lost, a few humans come and take you away. You are scared, but you've lost too much energy to fight back. If these strange animals are predators, you may be finished.
you are here?
Go with the humans
Thankfully, these humans are well meaning. Over a few months, you and your surviving flock members are nursed back to health. One by one, you are all released back into the wild. It's been a while, and the weather is warming up again. You have a very good sense of direction, so it's time to begin your migration again—not south, but back up north for the summer.
You survived! Thanks for playing!
As an eared grebe, you're not the most efficient flier. That becomes very clear when the sky opens up and the rain intensifies. You and your flock flies blind as the wind takes you wherever it blows.
you are here?
Continue on
You've been blown severely off course. Your flock spent all their stored-up energy going the wrong direction, so there's no going back now. You try to survive on this new island, but it's different. Some of your flock can't adapt to the different food and die. But, others and yourself make it work. Maybe this is the start of a unique, island-faring species of grebe.
you are here?
You survived! Thanks for playing!
a trip to the south
You are a female Wilson's phalarope. You're enjoying your time in the wide-open plains at the heart of North America. These are your native breeding lands, and it's your duty to find a mate before heading to the South American highlands for winter.
you are here
Find your mate!
FIND YOUR MATE
Can you pair each bird with its mate?
you have Found a mate!
Next
You sucessfully lay a nest of exactly four eggs, but you're not done. You leave the male to take care of your eggs, and you go to find another mate. Where do you look?
In the tall grass near the marsh
you are here
Along a floating log
In the shallow water
You poke around the tall grass for a bit, but you're not seeing any males. Plus, it's really quiet over here. Too quiet... Surprise! A raccoon pounces from behind the tall grass. It catches you, and you end up as lunch. Not exactly how you planned your day.
Better luck next time!
You find a promising looking male, but another female is closing in! It's time to fight! You put up a good fight and dish out the pecking and kicking. The rival female surrenders, and you're able to lay a sencond clutch of four eggs. Nice job!
Continue on
You look around the shallow water for a mate. However, the water is much more shallow than usual. Is there even water here at all? You fly over the mud for a while, noticing some human construction close by. It doesn't seem like the place to be. Oh well, it's almost time to migrate.
Continue on
It's time to migrate! Your journey will take you very far south, so you need to make an important stop at Great Salt Lake. Your flock makes a water landing at the southern arm of the lake. At the lake, you "vortex," or swim in a circle to catch your favorite food-- the tiny invetebrate brine shrimp that you love to eat!
you are here
Spend time with your flock at the lake
game
Complete the sentence
Complete the sentence about wilson's phalaropes
Complete the sentence about wilson's phalaropes
Complete the sentence about wilson's phalaropes
Complete the sentence about wilson's phalaropes
Now you need to fuel up for your trip! You need to eat lots of brine flies to build up some energy. It's crowded here, so you wonder if there's better food elsewhere. Where do you go to hunt for flies?
You look close by, in the southern arm
you are here
You fly off to look in the northern arm
In the southern arm, you find a feast of flies! You eat so many, you almost aren't able to fly. That's a good thing though! You have plenty of energy to continue far south.
Continue on
In the northern arm of the lake, you are met with strange pink water. And what's even stranger is that there are no brine flies here! What gives? Some of your flock stays and looks longer, while others leave to find food elsewhere. It looks like a storm is coming, so time is of the essence. What will you do?
Go back
Keep looking
You keep looking, but have no luck. You've spent too much of your energy to continue your migration. The storm traps you in the foodless part of the lake. You become stranded and die before the winter settles in. Maybe your friends in the southern arm had more luck?
Better luck next time!
With your abundance of stored energy, you make the long flight down to South America. You fly so far south infact, that the seasons are different here in the southern hemisphere. You enjoy a nice warm summer in your wintering grounds!
you are here
Good job! You completed your migration!
Drag and drop the cards to place them in the correct order.
Notice the brood sac on the adult female!
This is how big brine shrimp really are!
YOU SELECTED THE WHITE PELICAN
Is this your bird?
yes
no
Solution
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism--this means that the male and female look different!
Next
Eared grebe
White pelican
Wilson's phalarope
Common goldeneye
Northern shoveler
Solution
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism--this means that the male and female look different!
Next
Eared grebe
White pelican
Wilson's phalarope
Common goldeneye
Northern shoveler
YOU SELECTED THE WILSON'S PHALAROPE
Is this your bird?
yes
no
Solution
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism--this means that the male and female look different!
Next
Eared grebe
White pelican
Wilson's phalarope
Common goldeneye
Northern shoveler
YOU SELECTED THE EARED GREBE
Is this your bird?
yes
no