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Kern National Wildlife Refuge
Complex consists of 2 national wildlife refuges, Kern, and Pixley which total
18,082 acres of habitat in the Central Valley of California.
Kern National Wildlife Refuge (KNWR) is located 18 miles west of the city of Delano at the southern end of
the San Joaquin Valley of California.. The refuge headquarters is at the junction of
Garces Highway and Corcoran Road. This 11,249-acre Kern refuge consists of natural valley
grasslands, a relict riparian corridor, and developed marsh. A new visitor center and
office complex opened in late 1999 and an upgraded pond with an interpretive
kiosk was built in 2011. Two Auto tour routes are available. A year round
4.3-mile route covers the northern section of the refuge and another
6.5-mile route leads through the some of the central wetlands. The Southern Tour
Route is closed during October through January on Wednesdays and Saturdays to
accommodate hunters. Hunting opportunities for
waterfowl are jointly managed by refuge staff and the California Dept. of Fish and Game.
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Spring is a great time to visit © Alison Sheehey |
Kern
National Wildlife Refuge lies just south of the
original Tulare Lake Bed in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California. This lake
covered almost 1/2 million acres during flood years and was home millions of
individual fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Although, KNWR is just a
remnant habitat, it still supports a surprising number of species. KNWR provides
wintering habitat for migrating birds, shorebirds, marsh and waterfowl in the southern San
Joaquin Valley. The refuge also provides habitat for upland species. The
endangered Buena Vista
Lake shrew, San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard make their
home here.
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A Loggerhead Shrike surveys the landscape while foraging
along the auto tour route © Alison Sheehey |
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Pixley National Wildlife Refuge consists of 6,833
acres of valley grassland and wetland habitats. Pixley National Wildlife Refuge is along
the eastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley. Home to a small marsh and a significant
portion of valley grassland habitat, this refuge supports many of the endangered species
that occur in the southern San Joaquin Valley. This is the best place in the southern
valley to view wintering Sandhill Cranes. A new self-guided
nature trail opened in June 2001, thanks to Tulare County Audubon Society. |
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The refuge is open from from 30 minutes before sunrise
to 30 minutes after sunset, 7 days a week for nature
observation.
Four species of rails breed on the refuge, this is a
Common Gallinule (Moorhen).
© Alison Sheehey |
