Stillwater

Stillwater NWR https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Stillwater/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stillwater_National_Wildlife_Refuge Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Lahontan Valley, near the community of Fallon, sixty miles east of Reno, Nevada. The Stillwater wetlands are well known to birders, as this area has been designated a site of international importance by the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network because of the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds, such as long-billed dowitcher, black-necked stilt, and American avocet passing through during migration. More than 280 species have been sighted in the area. These tremendously rich and diverse wetlands attract more than a quarter million waterfowl, as well as over 20,000 other water birds, including American white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, white-faced ibis, and several species of egrets, herons, gulls, and terns.

FA L L O N N AT I O N A L Carson Sink WILDLIFE REFUGE NE VA DA Battleground Point D D U N E Twin Lakes Parking Ar ea Sagouspe Dam V isit or Infor mat ion Rio Vista Rd. Trail Fallon N 2 Miles Kilometers 2 In dia nL ake s oa d Camping R Ole’s Pond Fa l l o n PaiuteShoshone Tribal Reservation S-Line Reservoir 50 R A 116 Stillwater Road Harmon Reservoir l Road Nutgrass Lake Nu tg ra ss Pi n tai ad Road E T Upper Foxtail Lake Goose Lake Division Road Cattail Lake Dry Lake Foxtail Lake ur To to u A Overlook Stillwater Point Reservoir ad Ro Division Pond E Alkali Doghead Pond Environmental Education Site op Lo L L ad Ro E ty n G u N Co A st R a E R E T A W I P I V abin yC av Hu nt er Boat R amp/Parking Ar ea Vaughn Lake West County Road Dunes Likes Lake Upper Lake River Carson Wet lands East Lake Cottonwood Lake r Ro T 95 0 Big Water S Papoose Lake Rivers Lead Lake Big Indian Lake S Swan Check Lake Tule Lake N Wolf Dam C Millen Lake No Hunt ing Refuge Boundar y ente Willow Lake Ca r Dirt R oads r ve Ri Swan Lake Ro ad so n Paved R oads Timber Lake E Pintail Bay No rth Ro Leter Reservoir N S ad L E G E N D 0 U S T I L LWAT E R N AT I O N A L WILDLIFE REFUGE 

Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge 1020 New River Parkway, Suite 305 Fallon, Nevada 89406 For Visitor Information Field Office: 775/428 6452 Refuge Headquarters: 775/423 5128 E-mail: stillwater@r1.fws.com http://www.fws.gov/refuge/stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Information: 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov Nevada Relay Center Voice 1 800/362 6888 TTY 1 800/362 6868 This brochure will be made available in other formats upon request. March 2003 FWS Robert Fields U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Complex The Stillwater refuge complex provides a striking setting for hunting, observing and learning about wildlife in what is considered a globally important bird area. The abundance of species here has been described as a true wildlife spectacle. American white pelicans from Anaho Island, FWS Photo The Refuge Complex Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge Complex (NWRC) is composed of three refuges – Stillwater, Fallon and Anaho Island. Together, they contribute substantially to the conservation of wildlife and their habitat in the western Great Basin. Fallon National Wildlife Refuge 80 95 80 Old River Fernley ALT 50 Derby Dam Hazen ALT 95 Lahontan Dam Carson River 50 Fallon St gh ou Sl il N 0 Miles 2 0 Kilometers 2 ALT 95 Private Lands New River Lahontan Reservoir 50 Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge lw Silver Springs 50 Stillwater Dunes Carson Sink Stillwater Wildlife Management Area er e River cke Tru Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge at Pyramid Lake FWS Janet Schmidt Nevada The Stillwater NWRC refuges are several of more than 520 wildlife refuges nationwide. This network of refuge lands was established for the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and plant resources for the benefit of present and future generations. The Blue Goose is the symbol of the National Wildlife Refuge System. 95 Carson Lake 50 Carson River © Bob Goodman Diverse Habitat and Species Black-necked stilt The refuge complex encompasses a great diversity of habitat, from freshwater marshes and river habitat to brackish water marshes, alkali playas, extensive salt desert shrublands, a 25-mile-long sand dune complex and a small island in a desert lake. Stillwater Range FWS Photo Stillwater Marsh FWS Photo Refuge habitats attract nearly 400 species of vertebrates or other wildlife, including more than 290 species of birds, plus countless species of invertebrates. Waterfowl, shorebirds and other waterbirds are abundant, especially during migration. With its immense richness and abundance in a desert environment, the refuge complex is a great place for hunting, observing and learning about wildlife in the Great Basin. Rare Visitor, Brown Pelican Wildlife Oasis The Lahontan Valley is a surprisingly lush oasis in the dry Great Basin ecosystem. Thousands of American avocets, black-necked stilts and a variety of sandpipers pass through in what is termed a true wildlife spectacle. Mammals FWS E. Loth Diverse Wildlife © Anthony Battiste Kit fox, present but hard to view, are year-round residents. Mule deer, coyote and muskrat are often seen along refuge roads. An occasional mountain lion ventures into the valley and through the marsh in search of prey. Coyote © Dave Menke Muskrats A variety of lizard species and kangaroo rats leave their tracks in the desert sand amidst greasewood shrubs. The white-tailed antelope squirrel is one of the few rodents easily seen as it darts between bushes and under fences. Rabbits (cottontail and black-tailed jack) abound. Kangaroo rat Mule deer Collared Lizard © Bob Goodman FWS Photo FWS Dan Roseberg Desert Species FWS Photo The Stillwater marshland also attracts some rarities. White-winged scoter, stilt sandpiper, brown pelican and the pomarine jaeger are a few avian species that can make special appearances. FWS Photo White-winged scoter rare appearance. FWS Photo Spring FWS Janet Schmidt American white pelican Burrowing owl Americn avocet on nest FWS Photo FWS L. McDaniel White-faced ibis Refuge Seasons Early spring boasts an onslaught of tens of thousands of returning migrants. Canvasback, northern pintails, green-winged and cinnamon teal, and occasionally snow geese begin to arrive in late February. American white pelicans also start returning to nesting habitat on Anaho Island in Pyramid Lake. April finds resident waterfowl nesting and shorebirds returning in significant numbers. In the water, birds such as the Clark’s or western grebes and ruddy ducks put on their courting shows. Long-billed curlew, Swainson’s hawks and brightly colored passerines, such as Bullock’s orioles and yellow-headed blackbirds, also arrive and begin to nest. In early May, summer colonial nesting birds including white-faced ibis, snowy, great and cattle egrets, Forster’s terns and sometimes burrowing owls are nesting. Winter Beginning in June, the late arrivals include the common nighthawk and a v