Cinnamon Teal are a common sight in the Bitterroot Valley
As the sound of irrigation sprinklers echo and ditches throughout the valley begin to deliver their share of Bitterroot River water for agricultural purposes, many bird species benefit from the seasonal pasture flooding associated with water delivery systems.
The water table slowly rises throughout the valley and areas that were dry just months prior are now inundated with shallow freshwater wetlands ranging from saturated soils to several inches of standing water. As temperatures rise these small seasonal wetlands create critical migratory bird feeding habitat by hosting a myriad of aquatic insect larvae that provide a protein-rich food source to wading birds and waterfowl.