Valle de OroNational Wildlife Refuge - New Mexico |
The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge is located 7 miles (11 km) south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This unit abuts the Rio Grande Valley State Park, which is adjacent to the Rio Grande.
featured in
![]() | New Mexico Pocket Maps | ![]() |
location
maps
Official Visitor Map of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument (NM) in New Mexico. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
Tourist-Road Map of New Mexico. Published by the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
brochures
Map of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in New Mexico. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Birds checklist for Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in New Mexico. Published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Valle de Oro NWR
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/valle_de_oro/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_de_Oro_National_Wildlife_Refuge
The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge is located 7 miles (11 km) south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This unit abuts the Rio Grande Valley State Park, which is adjacent to the Rio Grande.
Keep pets on a nonretractable 6-foot leash
and under your
control.
Remember to bring
plenty of water, sunscreen/sun protection,
and bug spray. Please wear weatherappropriate clothing and footwear.
Please place all trash, recycling, and bagged
pet waste in appropriate receptacles to protect
wildlife and their habitats. Picking up after
pets keeps our river clean of waste
contaminants and is courteous to people and
wildlife downstream.
Stay up to date on refuge development,
activities, and volunteer opportunities. The
refuge plans to host multiple community
meetings each year to provide our neighbors
and supporters with updates on the design
and construction process. Please stay tuned
to our Facebook page, Instagram, and website
for updates and announcements for
community meetings.
Another Way to Explore the Refuge
Test your knowledge of
wildlife and share your
photos and explore the
refuge through our
interactive app:
Discover Valle de Oro
Game & Wildlife Spotting
App
Contact information:
7851 Second St. SW
Albuquerque, NM 87105
505/248-6667
Email: valledeoro@fws.gov
www.fws.gov/refuge/Valle_de_Oro/
Find us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/ValleDeOroNational
WildlifeRefuge/
Find us on Instagram: @valledeoronwr
In Case of Emergency Call 911
Prohibited Refuge Activities
Camping
Collecting/Removing wildlife or plants
Commercial activities without a permit
Discharge of firearms
Drones
Entering/Remaining on refuge if intoxicated
Feeding or disturbing wildlife
Fishing
Hunting
Littering
Open fires
Possession of unauthorized firearms
Possession/Use of controlled substances
Smoking within 25ft of buildings
Unauthorized overnight vehicles
Unleashed pets
Valle de Oro
National Wildlife
Refuge Map
As the Southwest’s first urban wildlife
refuge, Valle de Oro NWR serves as an oasis
for both wildlife and people. Established in
2012, the refuge is beginning to transition
from agricultural fields to a diversity of
native habitats and visitor amenities. Visit
often and help us grow!
Guidelines for an Enjoyable Visit
Respecting wildlife and their habitat is the
first step in keeping Valle de Oro NWR a
safe, welcoming, and enjoyable place for
both people and wildlife.
The refuge is open from 6am to 6pm every
day. Please park in designated parking areas
at the Welcome Center (the tan house with
the green roof) and access the interior of the
refuge by walking, jogging, hiking,
bicycling or horseback riding. Yield to
approaching vehicles or horses and stay out
of construction sites and closed areas.
Little to no disturbance to wildlife allows for
more observation of their natural behaviors
and activities and is courteous to other
visitors. Bring binoculars for safe up-close
viewing of wildlife and minimize noises.
Please leave your
kites, balloons,
drones, model aircraft
or vehicles, and
sports-related
equipment at home.
Visitor Center,
Nani Chacon
Closed for Construction
Visitor Center
Closed for Construction
Closed Area
Gate
Refuge Boundary
0
0.125
Rio Gran
on)
(Official use only)
ructi
Multi-Use Trail
Public Roads
Hiking Only Trail
Closed Roads
Maintenance Road
onst
for C
Area Closed
Playa Wetland
Salida Sandia SW (No Parking/ Refuge Access)
Bates Rd
losed
Wetland
Habitat,
Francesca
Searer
Access to the bosque
No Parking
(1.8 mi. from Welcome Center)
2nd St SW
(C
Trail
Real
de Bosque
Stormwater
Swale, Erin De
Rosa
mino
Bosque
Habitat,
Jessica Chao
El Ca
Closed for Construction
Wetland Restoration
nde
Closed for
Construction
Runner
Upland Habitat,
Haley
Greenfeather
English
road/Rail
r
d/ Railrunne
BNSF Railroa
Welcome
Center
2nd St SW
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
Office
Rocky Mountain
Youth Corps Office
7851 2nd Street SW, Albuquerque, NM
BNSF Rail
Greenhouse
Classroom
Rio Gra
No Vehicle Access
Beyond this point
Closed for Construction
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Lagunitas Ln SW (No Parking/ Refuge Access)
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
Authorized Uses
Parking
Welcome Center
Information Kiosk
Handicap Parking
Public Restroom
0.25
Hiking
Cycling
Dogs on Leash
Horseback Riding
Wildlife Watching
0.5
miles
±
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Birds of
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
Refuge Introduction
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge,
the first urban wildlife refuge in the
southwest, serves as an urban oasis
for both wildlife and people. With a
future array of wetland habitats and
the cottonwood bosque, Valle de Oro
NWR will restore a sustainable habitat
for Middle Rio Grande wildlife and
migratory birds. In addition to observing
a high diversity of birds at Valle de
Oro NWR visitors and community
members can connect to the refuge
through education-based programs that
utilize ecology, cultural awareness, and
environmental stewardship.
Currently, the refuge is open MondaySunday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tours of
the refuge are available upon request
and special events take place regularly.
Binoculars are available for check out!
Bird List Introduction and Key
This list of 229 species is in accordance
with the American Ornithologists’ Union
Checklist of North American Birds,
7th edition (1998) and its supplements
through July 2016.
Those species marked with an asterisk
(*) have nested on the refuge. Species
that occur as accidental (marked with
an “X”) may occur more regularly in
areas surrounding the refuge, but most
are true geographic rarities. Seasons
and occurrences for bird sightings on
the refuge are coded below. Note that
seasons vary from species to species; fall
migration for some, such as shorebirds
and flycatchers, is much earlier (midJuly to mid-September) compared to fall
migration for other species, such as most
waterfowl and sparrows (September to
November).
Seasons
Sp—Spring—period of spring migration
(depending on species) from
mid-February to early June
S—Summer—June to August
F—Fall—period of fall migration
(depending on species) from
mid-July to November
W—Winter—December to February
Abundance
A—Abundant: a common and
numerous species
C—Common: certain to be seen in
suitable habitat
U—Uncommon: present, but not certain
to be seen
O—Occasional: seen only a few
times during a season
R—Rare: seen at intervals of 2 to 5 years
X—Accidental: seen only once or twice
* Has nested on the refuge
Common Name
Sp Su F W
Ducks, Geese and Swans
__Gr. White-fronted Goose
R U U
__Snow Goose
U U C
__Ross’s Goose
U U C
__Brant X
__Cackling Goose
C C C
__Canada Goose
C U C C
__Wood Duck
U O U U
__Gadwall
U X U U
__American Wigeon
U U U
__Mallard
C C C C
__Blue-winged Teal
U U
__Cinnamon Teal
U U
__Northern Shoveler
U U U
__Northern Pintail
U U U
__Green-winged Teal
U U O
__Canvasback
R O
__Redhead
O O
__Ring-necked Duck
U O
__Greater Scaup
X
__Lesser Scaup
O
__Bufflehead
X
__Hooded Merganser
X X
__Common Merganser
U R U
__Ruddy Duck
R R
New World Quail
__Scaled Quail X
__Gambel’s Quail O
Pheasants
__Ring-necked Pheasant
C U U C
Grebes
__Pied-billed Grebe
X X
Pigeons and Doves
__Rock Pigeon
C C C C
__Eurasian Collared-Dove
C C C C
__White-winged Dove
C C C C
__Mourning Dove
C C C C
Cuckoos and Roadrunners
__Yellow-billed Cuckoo
U U
__Greater Roadrunner
U U U U
Goatsuckers
__Common Nighthawk U U
Swifts
__White-throated Swift
X
Hummingbirds
__Black-ch. Hummingbird
C C C
__Broad-tailed Hummingbird U U
__Rufous Hummingbird U
Common Name
Sp Su F
Rails and Coots
__Sora
R O
__American Coot
U X
Cranes
__Sandhill Crane
C C
Stilts and Avocets
__Black-necked Stilt O
__American Avocet
O
Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies
__Killdeer
C C C
__Upland Sandpiper X
__Long-billed Curlew
U U
__Marbled Godwit
U R
__Baird’s Sandpiper
O O
__Least Sandpiper
U U
__Pectoral Sandpiper
R
__Semipalmated Sandpiper R
__Western Sandpiper
O U
__Long-billed Dowitcher
U
__Wilson’s Snipe
U U
__Spotted Sandpiper
U U
__Solitary Sandpiper
O O
__Greater Yellowlegs
U U
__Willet
X
__Lesser Yellowlegs
O O
__Wilson’s Phalarope
U U
Gulls and Terns
__Franklin’s Gull
U
__Ring-billed Gull
U U
__California Gull
X
__Lesser Black-backed Gull X
Cormorants
__Neotropic Cormorant
O O
__Double-crested Cormorant O O
Herons, Bitterns and Allies
__Great Blue Heron
U U U
__Great Egret
U U U
__Snowy Egret
C C C
__Cattle Egret
C C C
__Green Heron R R
__Black-cr. Night-Heron
R R R
__Yellow-cr. Night-Heron X
Ibises
__Glossy Ibis
X
__White-faced Ibis
C U C
American Vultures
__Turkey Vulture
C C C
Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies
__Osprey
R X
__White-tailed Kite
X
__Mississippi Kite X X
__Bald Eagle
U
__Northern Harrier
C C
__Sharp-shinned Hawk
U U
__Cooper’s Hawk
C C C
__Northern Goshawk
X
__Common Black Hawk
R R R
__Swainson’s Hawk
U C U
__Red-tailed Hawk
C U C
__Ferruginous Hawk
O U
__Golden Eagle
X
Barn Owls
__Barn Owl
O O
W
U
C
C
U
O
U
U
R
U
C
U
C
C
U
X
Common Name
Sp Su F
Typical Owls
__Western Screech-Owl
U U U
__Great Horned Owl
U U U
__Burrowing Owl
O
Kingfishers
__Belted Kingfisher
U U
Woodpeckers
__Red-naped Sapsucker
R O
__Ladder-backed Woodpecker U U U
__Downy Woodpecker
U U U
__Hairy Woodpecker
U R U
__Northern Fl