The American white pelican is one of the largest birds in North America. The shorebird is a graceful flier, either singly, in flight formations, or soaring on thermals in flocks. They are skilled swimmers, but they do not plunge-dive for prey like the brown pelican. Instead they make shallow dives from the surface of the water or just plunge their heads underwater.

Nesting on the refuge, these American avocets are often seen with other long-legged waders such as black-necked stilts. Day-old avocets can walk, swim, and even dive to escape predators.

Barn swallow in flight. These and Northern rough-winged swallows nest on the refuge. The long, deeply forked tail sets this agile flyer apart from all other north American swallows. Barn swallows often cruise low, flying just a few inches above the ground or water.

Feeding long-billed dowitchers. This shorebird is recognizable for its feeding action of short jabbing and probing in distinctive "sewing machine" motion.

The “giant” Canada goose was nearly driven extinct in the early 1900s.

Sandhill cranes, Canada geese, and mallards in flight over the refuge during fall migration. Sandhill cranes don't breed until two to seven years old. They can live up to 20 years. Mated pairs stay together year round, and migrate south as a group with their offspring.

Scaled quail, a rare refuge sighting. These birds are highly social and live in large groups called coveys. They are good runners and usually run from predators, rarely choosing to fly far. Scaled quail populations seem to have declined sharply across their range in past decades. The main threat is the reduction in food and cover that comes from overgrazing.

Swainson's hawk flying over the refuge. This hawk has one of the longest migrations of any American raptor - from Canada to Argentina. It can make the 6,214 mile trip in less than two months, averaging nearly 124 miles per day. The Swainson's hawk is declining throughout much of its range due to pesticide poisoning, especially on its wintering grounds in South America.

A young mourning dove fledgling. The mourning dove is the most widespread and abundant game bird in North America. The mourning dove's long, tapering tail distinguishes it. When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying.