Great Salt Lake (GSL) is recognized as a site of “Hemispheric Importance” for shorebirds by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. An estimated ten million birds visit GSL every year for breeding, staging, and for some species, as a wintering destination. American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) rely on GSL for both breeding and foraging habitat. Surveys conducted by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) during mid-September 1997 estimated over 85,000 pelicans using GSL wetlands for foraging and loafing. Gunnison Island, situated in the northwestern section of GSL, is home to one of the largest breeding colonies of American white pelicans in North America. Aerial counts completed by the UDWR have shown up to 20,000 breeding pelicans on the island. Naturally protected by water and the island’s remoteness, pelicans have been able to breed and raise their young free from predation and disturbance from red fox (Vulpes vulpes), coyote (Canis latrans), and humans. Lower water availability and threats of increasing pressure on water resources in recent years has caused increased attention to, preparation for, and response to losses of aquatic habitat. The population of American white pelicans in Utah has remained stable over time, but the potential effects of local and regional stressors on pelicans and their habitat are poorly understood. Recent research provides an eye into the lives of American white pelicans in Utah and to the broader watershed and flyway dynamics.