Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

The purpose of Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is to preserve and enhance resting, feeding, and breeding habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge attracts migrating waterfowl and shorebirds by the thousands and provides breeding and nesting habitat for ducks, geese, grassland songbirds, and colonial nesting water birds. The area is equally important to a variety of resident wildlife, including raptors, pronghorn antelope, sharp-tailed grouse, and coyotes. Many species of state and federal concern can be seen at the refuge during different times of the year, including bald eagles, piping plovers and on occasion peregrine falcons.

North-central Montana is made up of many depressional wetlands created by glaciers over 12,000-15,000 years ago. Geologic history indicates that Lake Bowdoin was once an oxbow of the pre-glacial Missouri River channel. Today, the Missouri River lies nearly 70 miles south of Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge.  

Major habitat types on the refuge include saline and freshwater wetlands, native prairie, planted dense nesting cover and shrubs. The refuge consists of more than 6,000 acres of freshwater and saline wetlands. There are three major wetland types on the refuge:  permanent wetlands; semi-permanent wetlands; and seasonal or temporary wetlands. The remaining upland is typical mixed-grass prairie with a complex of western wheatgrass, needle and thread grass, silver sagebrush, and forbs. The marsh areas are dominated by sedges, while excellent stands of emergent and aquatic vegetation are found in the shallow, open-water areas.