Wildlife & Habitat
Little
Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for 206 species
of birds, 58 mammal,
8 reptile, and 6 amphibian
species. It is an important area for birds, particularly migratory
songbirds. It provides habitat for the threatened Canada lynx and
other forest carnivores, and critical winter range for white-tailed
deer. During winter, deer migrate from the north, east, and south
to the west side of the Refuge where the snow is not as deep as
at higher elevations. Bald eagles winter along the Little Pend Oreille
River and nest at Bayley Lake. Forest bird communities include a
mixture of eastern and western species. Cavity-dependent birds,
such as woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees are also abundant.
Refuge lakes and marshes provide a spring and fall stopover point
for migratory waterfowl. Nesting waterfowl include Canada geese,
mallards, red-necked grebes, common goldeneyes, wood ducks, and
common and hooded mergansers. Species of special interest occurring
on the Refuge include: golden eagle, northern goshawk, flammulated
owl, Vaux swift, white-headed, pileated, Lewis and black-backed
woodpeckers. The Refuge, in combination with adjacent public lands,
provides for species that require large tracts of forest habitat.
