Audubon National Wildlife Refuge is a

National Wildlife Refuge The National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) is a system of protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the United States Department of the Interior, Department of the Interi ...

in the U.S. state of

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is the centerpiece of the

Audubon National Wildlife Refuge Complex The Audubon National Wildlife Refuge Complex is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and consists of numerous National Wildlife Refuges, all of which are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but most of which are on private property, ...

, which includes numerous other refuges in the region. Originally designated as the Snake Creek National Wildlife Refuge in 1955, the refuge was renamed in 1967 in honor of the artist and

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin, April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a French-American Autodidacticism, self-trained artist, natural history, naturalist, and ornithology, ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornitho ...

. Most of the refuge area is a lake known as Audubon Lake which is managed by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...

. Audubon Lake has one hundred islands which provide nesting habitat for birds. Another consists of

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s crucial to numerous bird and mammal species. Of particular interest are the

Baird's sparrow Baird's sparrow (''Centronyx bairdii'') is a species of North American birds in the family Passerellidae of order Passeriformes. It is a migratory bird native to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Taxonomy The Baird's sparrow was first descr ...

and Le Conte's sparrow, which nest here in enormous numbers during the late spring and summer. Between 1956 and 2007, 246 bird species have been documented. Additionally, 34 mammal species, five reptile species, four amphibian species, and 37 fish species have been observed.

Activities

Audubon National Wildlife Refuge features a visitor center with exhibits on prairie wetland and grassland habitat, migratory birds, night life of the Refuge, John James Audubon, and the history of the refuge. There is also a gift shop. Outside the visitor center is a 1-mile, self-guided gravel trail through grasslands and along wetlands. The center is located 3 miles north of

Coleharbor, North Dakota Coleharbor is a city in McLean County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 59 at the 2020 census. Coleharbor was founded in 1904. History Coleharbor was laid out in 1904 when the railroad was extended to that point. The name comb ...

. There is an 8-mile gravel auto tour route that winds along the south shoreline of Lake Audubon. Visitors can also use the photography blind to observe or take photographs of birds on a quiet bay of Lake Audubon. The refuge is open to hunting for deer, pheasant, grouse, and partridge. Since late 2020, it has hosted a 14-mile segment of the 4,600-mile North Country National Scenic Trail - the nation's longest hiking trail. The NCT through Audubon crosses a diversity of habitats and features numerous access points. Ice fishing is permitted in the winter.

References

External links

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Audubon National Wildlife Refuge
Protected areas of McLean County, North Dakota National Wildlife Refuges in North Dakota Wetlands of North Dakota Landforms of McLean County, North Dakota {{NorthDakota-protected-area-stub