Havasu National Wildlife Refuge Birdwatching Travel Guide

Established in 1941, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Pintail Slough, Fivemile Landing, and Catfish Paradise are popular hot spots for birding. Each of these areas has available parking and can be accessed by foot.
The Havasu Wilderness is rich in avian wildlife: quail, geese, ducks, grebes, cranes, rails, herons, egrets, falcons, and eagles, as well as migratory waterfowl and migrating songbirds, can be seen in the refuge. Four endangered bird species—the Yuma clapper rail, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Peregrine Falcon, and southern Bald Eagle—also can be found in the refuge.
Most of the refuge is accessible only by boat; however, areas for birding that can be reached by land are along the marshes near Golden Shore and Topock—both are on the Colorado River north of the US 40 bridge.
Try participating in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count in the Lake Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. Each year volunteers track the winter bird populations and distributions in a variety of areas and the information is compiled and reported back to the Audubon Society.

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