Bayou Sauvage Refugewildlife
Green, little blue and tricolored herons and yellow-crowned night-herons are listed as common in summer on the refuge's 2013 bird list. Its usual window for this year has passed.
Right now at Bayou Sauvage Refuge
Right now in Bayou Sauvage Refuge · September
- Fall: blue-winged teal and northern harriers listed as common (2013 bird list) · Sep–Nov
- Fishing and crabbing allowed all year inside the hurricane-protection levee · Jan–Dec
Your guide to the area
Where to watch
- Joe Madere Marsh OverlookOn US 90: a short boardwalk to a marsh overlook, with a canoe launch and picnic pavilion. Look for waterfowl, and for shorebirds such as black-necked stilts and avocets in the shallow water and mudflats
- Ridge Trail boardwalkThe refuge's most popular access point, also on US 90: a half-mile interpretive boardwalk loop through a forest being restored after Hurricane Katrina, with a marsh overlook, restrooms and a picnic pavilion. Egrets, herons and ibis use the water impoundment between the parking lot and US 90
Nearby
- Noxubee Refuge231 mi3 separate phases, from May
- St. Marks Refuge340 mi3 separate phases, from MaySatChance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Attwater Prairie Chicken Refuge386 milate February through early April
- Sequoyah Refuge477 miMarch – SeptemberSatChance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Padre Island National Seashore487 mimid-June through August
- Harris Neck Refuge519 mibetween early March to August
The year at Bayou Sauvage Refuge
- Fishing and crabbing allowed all year inside the hurricane-protection leveeNowJan–Dec
- Prothonotary warblers listed as common in spring and summer (2013 bird list)Mar–Aug
- Green, little blue and tricolored herons and yellow-crowned night-herons listed as common (2013 bird list)Jun–Aug
- Least terns, indigo buntings and yellow-breasted chats listed as common in summer (2013 bird list)Jun–Aug
- Fall: blue-winged teal and northern harriers listed as common (2013 bird list)NowSep–Nov
- Everything outside the hurricane-protection levee closed until noon, November 1 to January 31 (and in the state teal season)Nov–Jan
- Winter: gadwall, northern pintail, northern shoveler and redhead listed as common (2013 bird list)Dec–Feb
Questions people ask
When is the best time to see wildlife at Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge?
Green, little blue and tricolored herons and yellow-crowned night-herons are listed as common in summer on the refuge's 2013 bird list: Summer (June-August), 2013 bird list. That's general timing for this place, not a peak date or a forecast.
Is it the season at Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge right now?
Not now: its usual wildlife window for this year has passed. Next time: Summer (June-August), 2013 bird list, local timing.
Where should I look for herons and egrets?
At the Ridge Trail, check the water impoundment behind the water control structure, between the parking lot and US 90. Joe Madere Marsh Overlook is good for shorebirds and waterfowl.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Birding ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Are herons only here in summer?
No: wading birds are seen year-round. The 2013 bird list marks these four herons as common in summer and less common the rest of the year.Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage NWR Bird List (September 2013) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
What should I bring in summer?
The refuge has little shade and can be buggy much of the year: bring drinking water, insect repellent and sunscreen.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Hiking ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Will I see alligators?
Quite possibly: American alligators are frequently seen. Feeding them, or any wildlife, is prohibited.Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Species ↗ (opens in a new tab), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Rules and Policies ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How current is the bird list?
It's dated September 2013 and covers sightings on and next to the refuge. For recent sightings, the refuge points birders to Cornell's eBird.Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage NWR Bird List (September 2013) ↗ (opens in a new tab), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Birding ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Where are the best spots in Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge?
Joe Madere Marsh Overlook: on US 90: a short boardwalk to a marsh overlook, with a canoe launch and picnic pavilion. Look for waterfowl, and for shorebirds such as black-necked stilts and avocets in the shallow water and mudflats; Ridge Trail boardwalk: the refuge's most popular access point, also on US 90: a half-mile interpretive boardwalk loop through a forest being restored after Hurricane Katrina, with a marsh overlook, restrooms and a picnic pavilion. Egrets, herons and ibis use the water impoundment between the parking lot and US 90.
Are there closures or permits to know about in Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge?
Everything outside the hurricane-protection levee closed until noon, November 1 to January 31 (and in the state teal season) (Nov–Jan).
What is Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge like through the year?
Fall: blue-winged teal and northern harriers listed as common (2013 bird list) (Sep–Nov), Winter: gadwall, northern pintail, northern shoveler and redhead listed as common (2013 bird list) (Dec–Feb), Everything outside the hurricane-protection levee closed until noon, November 1 to January 31 (and in the state teal season) (Nov–Jan), Fishing and crabbing allowed all year inside the hurricane-protection levee (Jan–Dec), Green, little blue and tricolored herons and yellow-crowned night-herons listed as common (2013 bird list) (Jun–Aug), Least terns, indigo buntings and yellow-breasted chats listed as common in summer (2013 bird list) (Jun–Aug) and Prothonotary warblers listed as common in spring and summer (2013 bird list) (Mar–Aug).
How we know · Sources (6)
How we know
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage NWR Bird List (September 2013) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 30) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Birding (opens in a new tab) (Sep 30) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Species (opens in a new tab) (Sep 30) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Hiking (opens in a new tab) (Sep 30) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Rules and Policies (opens in a new tab) (Sep 30) · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Sauvage Urban NWR: Visit Us (opens in a new tab) (Sep 30)