Flint Hills Refugespring migration
April and May are the best time of year for viewing songbirds and perching birds, per the Fish and Wildlife Service. Its usual window for this year has passed.
Right now at Flint Hills Refuge
Right now in Flint Hills Refuge · September
- Fishing is allowed year-round in the refuge's open areas · Jan–Dec
Next 7 days at Flint Hills Refuge
- TodayChance Showers And Thunderstorms77° / 65°82% rain
- ThuShowers And Thunderstorms72° / 57°85% rain
- FriSlight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny66° / 51°21% rain
- SatSunny69° / 52°4% rain
- SunSunny73° / 49°–
- MonSunny70° / 50°–
- TueSunny73° / 55°2% rain
Today: sunrise 7:19 a.m., sunset 7:10 p.m., light until 7:36 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 78% lit (our calculation)
Your guide to the area
Where to watch
- Townsite TrailAn easy 0.8-mile walk (about 30 minutes) through woods along the Neosho River just north of refuge headquarters, on land that was once part of the town of Hartford
- Burgess Marsh TrailThe first trail you pass coming onto the refuge: a 0.16-mile accessible concrete path with a boardwalk raised into the marsh; look for songbirds and woodpeckers along the shaded path, and wading birds, waterfowl and shorebirds in the marsh
Nearby
- Loess Bluffs Refuge128 mifrom mid-February, peaking in mid-MarchSatSunny
- Swan Lake Refuge172 miApril and MaySatSunny
- Boyer Chute Refuge217 miIn early spring (typically early March)SatSunny
- Clarence Cannon Refuge285 miaround the first week of MaySatSunny
- Meredosia Refuge309 mi2 separate phases, from typically late February to early MarchSatSunny
- Hagerman Refuge319 miIn MarchSatShowers And Thunderstorms Likely
The year at Flint Hills Refuge
- Fishing is allowed year-round in the refuge's open areasNowJan–Dec
- Songbirds and perching birds: April and May are the best months to see them, as warblers returnApr–May
- Apr: White pelicans pass through on migration in AprilApr
- Apr: Shorebirds start to arrive in AprilApr
- Nov: Ducks and geese in the thousands, peaking in NovemberNov
Flint Hills Refuge in pictures
Questions people ask
When is the best time to see spring migration at Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge?
April and May are the best time of year for viewing songbirds and perching birds, per the Fish and Wildlife Service: April and May are the best time of year. That's general timing for this place, not a peak date or a forecast.
Is spring migration under way at Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge right now?
Not now: its usual spring migration window for this year has passed. Next time: April and May are the best time of year, local timing.
Why might I see smoke in spring?
Spring is when prescribed fire season begins on the refuge; the smoke can be seen for miles.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Is the auto tour loop always open?
Not always. The loop, in the refuge's Indian Hill Section, can close, so check its current status with the refuge office before you go.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Auto Tour ↗ (opens in a new tab)
What if a road is flooded?
Don't drive through it: driving through flooded roadways is prohibited. Park no more than one vehicle width from the edge of the road, without blocking traffic or gates.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Rules and Policies ↗ (opens in a new tab)
What does April bring?
Returning warblers, migrating white pelicans and arriving shorebirds; the refuge gives no single peak date for all three.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Are there spring snow geese too?
Yes. The refuge describes thousands of migrating snow geese, seen and heard on sunny spring days, without a month-bounded peak.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Where are the best spots in Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge?
Townsite Trail: an easy 0.8-mile walk (about 30 minutes) through woods along the Neosho River just north of refuge headquarters, on land that was once part of the town of Hartford; Burgess Marsh Trail: the first trail you pass coming onto the refuge: a 0.16-mile accessible concrete path with a boardwalk raised into the marsh; look for songbirds and woodpeckers along the shaded path, and wading birds, waterfowl and shorebirds in the marsh.
What is Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge like through the year?
Ducks and geese in the thousands, peaking in November (Nov), Songbirds and perching birds: April and May are the best months to see them, as warblers return (Apr–May), White pelicans pass through on migration in April (Apr), Fishing is allowed year-round in the refuge's open areas (Jan–Dec) and Shorebirds start to arrive in April (Apr).
How we know · Sources (7)
How we know
National Weather Service forecast and alerts (opens in a new tab) (Sep 30) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Birding (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Species (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Auto Tour (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Rules and Policies (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Trails (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Flint Hills NWR: Fishing (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)