Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)

The Refuge is located in south-central Kansas and lies in an area where the eastern and western prairie meet and blend. In 1955, the Migratory Bird Commission approved the purchase of land to create the Refuge, thus providing food, water, and nesting areas for migratory waterfowl in this area of Kansas. Quivira NWR is one of the over 545 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System - a network of lands set aside and managed by the U.S. Fish and WIldlife Service specifically for wildlife. The Refuge System is a living heritage, conserving wildlife and habitat for people today and for generations to come. The name "Quivira" comes from a Native American tribe living in the area when the Spanish explorer, Coronado, visited in 1541. In quest of gold, treasures, and the fabled "Severn Cities of Cibola," he found instead fertile grasslands, abundant wildlife, and small agricultural villages. The Nation Americans, and later, the early settlers, hunted waterfowl in these marshes. Shortly after the turn of the century, commercial hunting provided wagon loads of waterfowl to Kansas City restaurants and other eastern cities.

With the decline of commercial hunting came the establishment of hunting clubs. The lands bought up by these clubs helped preserve valuable waterfowl habitat from further development. Moreover, these hunting clubs worked to improve the habitat to attract migrating birds. Canals and water control structures were later added, providing the entire area with a more dependable water supply. Today, these marshlands remain a major stopover for thousands of migrating birds.

Photography courtesty of Jerry Seagraves. THANKS Jerry!