MO-Swan+Lake+National+Wildlife+Refuge


 * =Birding in Missouri=

Chariton County
=Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge= 16194 Swan Lake Avenue Sumner, Missouri 64681 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge Website Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge Map

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Swan Lake NWR
Coordinates: 39.613988, -93.2222444 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Tips for birding Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (10,670 acres) and Fountain Grove Conservation Area (7,154 acres). In proximity to each other, these prime wetland areas along the Grand River attract waterfowl and shorebirds during migration. White pelicans are common during April and September. Both areas are reached by Highway 139 south of U.S. 36 and west of Brookfield. From Missouri Department of Conservation "Best Missouri Birding Areas"

About Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Swan Lake Refuge is managed as “a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife”. The purposes of the refuge are:
 * 1) to act as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife
 * 2) for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds
 * 3) to carry out the national migratory bird management program.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began purchasing the 10,795 acres in 1937. Following purchase of the land, the Civilian Conservation Corps began work on the refuge, creating wetlands, constructing roads and buildings, and initiating the refuge farming program.

Since establishment of the refuge, the primary emphasis on waterfowl species has changed from ducks to the eastern prairie population of Canada geese. Canada geese were first observed on the refuge in the early 1940s, and numbers increased gradually to peak populations of 150,000 to 200,000 annually during the early 1970s. Today, Canada geese are commonly seen on the refuge but not in the large concentrations that they were in years past. Currently, the refuge is managed for migratory birds including waterfowl, geese, and shorebirds. It also provides natural habitat for many neo-tropical migrating species of birds. Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge is designated as an Important Birding Area for Missouri. From Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge Website

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media type="custom" key="26659504" || L281327 US US-MO US-MO-041 39.613988 -93.2222444 Swan Lake NWR