Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
Location | Connecticut, United States |
Nearest city | Westbrook, Connecticut |
Coordinates | 41°17′21.2316″N 72°28′18.4080″W / 41.289231000°N 72.471780000°W |
Area | 950 acres (384.5 ha) |
Established | 1972 |
Named for | Stewart B. McKinney |
Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
Website | Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge |
The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is a 950-acre (384.5 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in ten units across the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge spans 70 miles (110 km) of Connecticut coastline and provides important resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for many species of wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds and terns, including the endangered roseate tern. Adjacent waters serve as wintering habitat for brant, scoters, American black duck, and other waterfowl. Overall, the refuge encompasses over 900 acres (364.2 ha) of barrier beach, intertidal wetland and fragile island habitats.[1]
Originally named the Salt Meadow National Wildlife Refuge, the refuge was renamed in 1987 after Stewart B. McKinney, a congressman from Connecticut.[1]