Why do migratory and other waterbirds choose to use the lakes and wetland habitats they do in the Great Basin? What is it about these lakes that make them so important to these birds? The USGS, along with partners across the western U.S., are tracking hundreds of migratory water birds in the Great Basin to try and answer some complicated questions. One waterbird of interest is the American Avocet, a protected species under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. American Avocets use the Pacific a