Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge is located in south central Kansas
near the town of Stafford
. It lies mostly in northeastern Stafford County
, but small parts extend into southwestern Rice
and northwestern Reno
Counties. Its proximity to the Central Flyway
migration route and the salt marsh
es on the refuge combine to endow the refuge with a large variety of birds. Many of these birds are uncommon in other parts of Kansas or even the central part of the continent.
On January 29, 2008, Quivira NWR and Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area
were jointly named as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. Quivira NWR is one of 29 places in the United States on the Ramsar list as a wetland of international importance.
derives from a fabled American Indian
city of gold. In 1541 Spanish
conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
led an expedition onto the Great Plains
of Kansas
searching for wealth. He spent a month with the Quivirans, the ancestors of the Wichita Indians, but returned to New Mexico
without finding any gold.
Quivira also has about 13000 acres (52.6 km²) of sand dunes covered with prairie grasses. The sand prairie has species from both the eastern Tallgrass prairie
and the western Shortgrass prairie
or steppe
. About 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of the Refuge is wooded with trees such as cottonwood, black locust
, and eastern redcedar. Another 1200 acres (4.9 km²) of Refuge land is farmed with winter wheat and milo. A portion of the crop is left in the fields for wildlife. Cattle are also grazed on part of the Refuge to simulate grazing by bison
, which are no longer present. Bison grazing was a traditional component of the ecology of the region.
Two roads, one 14 miles (22.5 km) and the other 4 miles (6.4 km) in length, afford opportunities for wildlife viewing. A 1.2 miles (1.9 km) nature trail passes through wodlands, grasslands, and across a marsh on an elevated boardwalk. Birdhouse Boulevard is a 1000 feet (304.8 m) wheel-chair accessible trail lined with birdhouses. A wildlife observation tower is located on the south side of Little Salt Marsh. Two photography blinds and a spotting scope aid in observing wildlife. Hunting for small game and waterfowl is permitted on 8000 acres (32.4 km²) of the refuge. A "Kid's Fishing Pond" is located near the Visitor Center which has interpretative displays. Fishing is permitted in the marshes. Bicycles and horses are permitted on established trails and roads. Boats of any kind are prohibited.
and white-tail deer, one small prairie dog
town, wild turkey, and many small mammals.
. Endangered Whooping Crane
s occasionally visit the refuge enroute to their wintering grounds in Texas
.
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
near the town of Stafford
Stafford, Kansas
Stafford is a city in Stafford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,042.-Geography:Stafford is located at...
. It lies mostly in northeastern Stafford County
Stafford County, Kansas
Stafford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,437. Its county seat is St. John...
, but small parts extend into southwestern Rice
Rice County, Kansas
Rice County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas; it was named in memory of Samuel Allen Rice, Brigadier-General, United States volunteers, killed April 30, 1864, at Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 10,083...
and northwestern Reno
Reno County, Kansas
Reno County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 64,511 for the 2010 census. The largest city and county seat is Hutchinson. The Hutchinson Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Reno County.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska...
Counties. Its proximity to the Central Flyway
Central Flyway
The Central Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Great Plains in the United States and Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include central Canada and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in the Platte River and...
migration route and the salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es on the refuge combine to endow the refuge with a large variety of birds. Many of these birds are uncommon in other parts of Kansas or even the central part of the continent.
On January 29, 2008, Quivira NWR and Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area
Cheyenne Bottoms
Cheyenne Bottoms is one of 29 places in the United States on the List of Ramsar wetlands of international importance. It is located east of US Highway 281, midway between Hoisington and Great Bend in Kansas....
were jointly named as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. Quivira NWR is one of 29 places in the United States on the Ramsar list as a wetland of international importance.
Quivira - City of Gold
The name QuiviraQuivira
Quivira may refer to:*Quivira, a place first visited by Francisco Vazquez de Coronado while in search of the mythical Seven Cities of Gold*Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, a salt marsh located in south central Kansas...
derives from a fabled American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
city of gold. In 1541 Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other parts of what are now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542...
led an expedition onto the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
searching for wealth. He spent a month with the Quivirans, the ancestors of the Wichita Indians, but returned to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
without finding any gold.
Description
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1955 and in 1998 the refuge reached its present size of 22135 acres (89.6 km²). The Refuge is bisected by Rattlesnake Creek and has two shallow lakes, Big Salt Marsh and Little Salt Marsh, that have attracted migratory birds and animals for centuries. Twenty-one miles of canals have been constructed to create additional marshland. The Refuge has 34 wetlands from 10 to 1500 acres (6.1 km²) in size totaling 7000 acres (28.3 km²). The wetlands have high salt levels.Quivira also has about 13000 acres (52.6 km²) of sand dunes covered with prairie grasses. The sand prairie has species from both the eastern Tallgrass prairie
Tallgrass prairie
The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America, with fire as its primary periodic disturbance. In the past, tallgrass prairies covered a large portion of the American Midwest, just east of the Great Plains, and portions of the Canadian Prairies. They flourished in areas with...
and the western Shortgrass prairie
Shortgrass prairie
The shortgrass prairie ecosystem of the North American Great Plains is a prairie that includes lands from the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains east to Nebraska and Saskatchewan, including rangelands in Alberta, Wyoming, Montana, North, South Dakota, and Kansas, and extending to the south...
or steppe
Steppe
In physical geography, steppe is an ecoregion, in the montane grasslands and shrublands and temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes, characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes...
. About 1500 acres (6.1 km²) of the Refuge is wooded with trees such as cottonwood, black locust
Black locust
Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known as the Black Locust, is a tree in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States, but has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is...
, and eastern redcedar. Another 1200 acres (4.9 km²) of Refuge land is farmed with winter wheat and milo. A portion of the crop is left in the fields for wildlife. Cattle are also grazed on part of the Refuge to simulate grazing by bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
, which are no longer present. Bison grazing was a traditional component of the ecology of the region.
Two roads, one 14 miles (22.5 km) and the other 4 miles (6.4 km) in length, afford opportunities for wildlife viewing. A 1.2 miles (1.9 km) nature trail passes through wodlands, grasslands, and across a marsh on an elevated boardwalk. Birdhouse Boulevard is a 1000 feet (304.8 m) wheel-chair accessible trail lined with birdhouses. A wildlife observation tower is located on the south side of Little Salt Marsh. Two photography blinds and a spotting scope aid in observing wildlife. Hunting for small game and waterfowl is permitted on 8000 acres (32.4 km²) of the refuge. A "Kid's Fishing Pond" is located near the Visitor Center which has interpretative displays. Fishing is permitted in the marshes. Bicycles and horses are permitted on established trails and roads. Boats of any kind are prohibited.
Wildlife Highlights
331 species of birds have been seen on Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. Most are seasonal. The Christmas bird count in 2010 counted 43, 548 birds of 95 species. More than one-half of this total were Snow Geese many of which winter on the Refuge. Quivira also has muleMule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
and white-tail deer, one small prairie dog
Prairie dog
Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. There are five different species of prairie dogs: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. They are a type of ground squirrel, found in the United States, Canada and Mexico...
town, wild turkey, and many small mammals.
Spring and Summer
Shorebirds, Pelicans, and gulls stop over at the refuge en route to their Spring nesting grounds. Plovers, Avocets, Stilts, Ibis, and endangered Least Terns nest on the refuge during the spring and summer. Whooping cranes stop over on their way north to nesting areas.Fall
800,000 geese and ducks pass through Quivira NWR in route to the Gulf Coast and MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Endangered Whooping Crane
Whooping Crane
The whooping crane , the tallest North American bird, is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound. Along with the Sandhill Crane, it is one of only two crane species found in North America. The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild...
s occasionally visit the refuge enroute to their wintering grounds in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Accidentals
These species have all been seen on rare occasions on the refuge:- Great Flamingo
- Surf Scoter
- Greater Roadrunner
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Roseate Spoonbill
External links
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: official site
- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
- Placeopedia
- Jerry's Photo & Imaging Quivira Album
