{"id":14542,"date":"2014-03-10T05:58:54","date_gmt":"2014-03-10T11:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=14542"},"modified":"2025-12-06T06:17:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T12:17:38","slug":"chukars-on-antelope-island-state-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/10\/chukars-on-antelope-island-state-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Chukars on Antelope Island State Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ChukarChukar warming up on the rocks – Nikon D300, f9, 1\/640, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in<\/span><\/p>\n

After seeing few Chukars on Antelope Island State Park over the winter it is a delight to see them perching on rocks, preening, calling, and warming up in the first rays of sunlight on the island again.<\/p>\n

\"PreeningPreening Chukar\u00a0– Nikon D300, f8, 1\/500, ISO 320, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in<\/span><\/p>\n

Chukars aren’t native to North America but they have made Antelope Island<\/span><\/a> their home and can be found this time of the year by following the kakakakakakakachukAR chuKAR chuKAR<\/a><\/span> sound near the marina, the visitor center, the trailhead to Frary Peak, and other rocky locations around the island.<\/p>\n

The Chukars are used to the human visitors on the island and it is relatively easy to photograph them by using a vehicle as a mobile blind. Getting out and photographing them on foot… not so easy.<\/p>\n

\"ChukarChukar with the Great Salt Lake in the background – Nikon D300, f8, 1\/500, ISO 320, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light, not baited or called in<\/span><\/p>\n

The first time I visited Antelope Island State Park in 2008 the Chukars amused and delighted me and though I had few opportunities to photograph them that day in my heart I knew I wanted to have the chance to photograph them more.<\/p>\n

My move to Utah certainly has provided me with those opportunities and I now have thousands of images of these rock-hopping upland terrestrial birds!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Chukar photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After seeing few Chukars on Antelope Island State Park over the winter it is a delight to see them perching on rocks, preening, calling and warming up in the first rays of sunlight on the island again. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":165294,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[511,27,442,1022,26],"tags":[4004,4146,445,4773,4005,4019,4921,11005,4470,401,4985],"class_list":["post-14542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-chukars","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-alectoris-chukar","tag-chukar","tag-chukars","tag-great-salt-lake","tag-preening-2","tag-rock","tag-rock-hopping","tag-rocks","tag-upland-game-birds","tag-warming-up"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chukar-preening-mia-mcpherson-3682.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-3My","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4609,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/10\/chukars-in-habitat\/","url_meta":{"origin":14542,"position":0},"title":"Chukars in Western Habitat","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Chukars are not native to North America, they were introduced as game birds and in some areas they have thrived, one of those locations is Antelope Island State Park in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Chukar on snowy hilltop, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/chukar-mia-mcpherson-7833.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/chukar-mia-mcpherson-7833.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It is almost hard to believe that in just two months these Chukars will be fighting for territories as they begin the mating season while there is over 9 inches of fresh snow on the ground where I live this morning.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Chukar fluffed up against the cold, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/chukar-8752.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/chukar-8752.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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ago today I was out in the field photographing a Chukar and snow on Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Chukar perched on a mound of snow, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chukar-adult-snow-mia-mcpherson-6742.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chukar-adult-snow-mia-mcpherson-6742.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chukar-adult-snow-mia-mcpherson-6742.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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