Three American Avocets take flight from a wetland.
Three American Avocets take flight from a wetland.
Our Work

Audubon's Edward L. & Charles F. Gillmor Sanctuary

Protecting critically important shorebird habitat along Great Salt Lake.
American Avocets. Photo: Evan Barrientos/Audubon Rockies
American Avocets. Photo: Evan Barrientos/Audubon Rockies
Our Work

Audubon's Edward L. & Charles F. Gillmor Sanctuary

Protecting critically important shorebird habitat along Great Salt Lake.

Located along the southern shoreline of Great Salt Lake, Audubon’s 3,597-acre Gillmor Sanctuary provides vital habitat to vast numbers of shorebirds, waterfowl, and other migratory birds. It is an area of wide-open vistas and an abundance of wildlife attracted to wetlands and uplands restored and protected by Audubon. Gillmor Sanctuary includes adjacent land owned by the Utah Reclamation Mitigation Conservation Commission that Audubon manages as well, known as the South Shore Preserve.

Gillmor Sanctuary provides nesting habitat for many bird species, such as American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, Black-Necked Stilt, Cinnamon Teal, and Gadwall. Its saline mudflats provide essential resources for many migrating shorebirds, including Marbled Godwits, Least and Western sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitchers, and Greater and Lesser yellowlegs. The sanctuary also provides nesting and migratory habitat for many species of waterfowl and other waterbirds. In the sanctuary's drier upland habitat, Loggerhead Shrikes, Brewer’s Sparrows, Sage Thrashers, Burrowing and Short-eared owls, and other species nest.

Amid rapid population growth, rising water demand, and climate change, protecting Great Salt Lake and its wetlands is critical to wetland bird conservation. Audubon’s goal at Gillmor Sanctuary is to provide diverse and healthy habitats for birds with a focus on managing saline mudflats as shorebird habitat. Through science-based adaptive management, we’re increasing the number of waterbirds nesting, migrating, and wintering on the property. We're also developing stewardship techniques that we share with other land managers and decision-makers to influence the future of Great Salt Lake and its wetlands.

News and Stories

Governor Cox Declares 2021 as Year of the Shorebird at Great Salt Lake
Gillmor Sanctuary

Governor Cox Declares 2021 as Year of the Shorebird at Great Salt Lake

Declaration celebrates 30th anniversary of Great Salt Lake as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Site

Utah’s Migratory Bird Production Areas Receive a Boost
Saline Lakes Program

Utah’s Migratory Bird Production Areas Receive a Boost

New bill increases protections for Great Salt Lake bird habitat.

Land Donation Secures a Future for Wildlife at Audubon’s Gillmor Sanctuary
Gillmor Sanctuary

Land Donation Secures a Future for Wildlife at Audubon’s Gillmor Sanctuary

Audubon receives a 413-acre donation critical to shorebird habitat from Epperson Associates, LLC.

Securing Gillmor Sanctuary’s Future
Gillmor Sanctuary

Securing Gillmor Sanctuary’s Future

A land donation to Audubon’s Gillmor Sanctuary protects the future of shorebird habitat restoration.

The Harrier and the Owl
Gillmor Sanctuary

The Harrier and the Owl

A poetic observation of interesting raptor behavior near Audubon's Gillmor Sanctuary.

A New Chapter for Shorebirds
Gillmor Sanctuary

A New Chapter for Shorebirds

Gillmor Sanctuary managers provide the first review of Great Salt Lake’s shorebirds.

U.S. Senate Introduces New Program to Assess and Monitor Saltwater Lake Ecosystems in the West
Saline Lakes Program

U.S. Senate Introduces New Program to Assess and Monitor Saltwater Lake Ecosystems in the West

To better protect people and birds, Audubon science makes the case for the U.S. government’s first coordinated regional assessment of Great Basin saline lakes.

Tackling Tamarisk at Gillmor Sanctuary
Gillmor Sanctuary

Tackling Tamarisk at Gillmor Sanctuary

Exploring how volunteers can help us restore bird habitat.

Opening the Floodgates
Gillmor Sanctuary

Opening the Floodgates

A look back on the 10-year anniversary of restoring water to South Shore Preserve.

Learn more

Great Salt Lake

Gillmor Sanctuary is part of the Great Salt Lake wetland ecosystem, a vital pathway for millions of nesting and migrating birds. Unfortunately, Great Salt Lake is drying up, threatening the survival of countless birds and the air quality of neighboring communities. Audubon is taking measures at Gillmor Sanctuary to understand the implications of climate change and a growing human footprint on shorebird habitat. Learn what else Audubon’s Saline Lakes Program is doing to secure a reliable water supply for Great Salt Lake and for the birds, businesses, and Utahns that depend on it.

Learn about birds and get involved.