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Great River
National Wildlife Refuge		 black-crowned night heron perched in tree
County Road 206
Annada, MO   63330
E-mail: greatriver@fws.gov
Phone Number: 573-847-2333
Visit the Refuge's Web Site:
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/great_river/		 The Great River Refuge has been designated as a globally important bird area and provides habitat for birds such as this black-crowned night heron.
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  Wildlife and Habitat
Continued . . .

The Mississippi River corridor is one of the most important migratory bird corridors in North America. Because many habitats along the river have been lost or heavily degraded, refuge units are essential in providing links of high-quality habitat for many species of migratory birds, including shorebirds, songbirds, and waterfowl. As many as 70 to 80 percent of the ducks and geese migrating along this portion of the river are found on refuge units.

The 1,700-acre Delair Division is protected from the river by a levee and includes marsh, open water, forest, and cropland. The Long Island Division is a 6,700-acre island complex in the river and contains some of the last remaining large contiguous stands of bottomland hardwoods in the area. This area is very important to migrant and resident bird species. The 2,100-acre Fox Island Division floods periodically and is important to waterfowl, numerous marsh and waterbirds, and songbirds.

 
 
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