Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge
| Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 Mackay Island Wildlife Refuge | |
  Map of the United States  Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge (the United States) | |
| Location | Currituck County, North Carolina, Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States |
| Coordinates | 36°31′20″N 75°57′00″W / 36.5222°N 75.95°W[1] |
| Area | 8,231 acres (33.31 km2) |
| Established | 1960 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge |
Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1960 to provide habitat for migratory
waterfowl, primarily the greater snow goose. It is located almost entirely on Knotts Island in the Currituck Sound between Back Bay in Virginia Beach, Virginia and the open sound in North Carolina. Most of the refuge lies within North Carolina but some of it is in Virginia.[2] The refuge is primarily made up of marsh habitat. This area has long been recognized for supporting significant migratory waterfowl populations and sport fishery resources, and is part of the Charles Kuralt
Trail.
The refuge is strategically located along the
shorebirds, raptors, neotropical migrants, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians use refuge habitats for food, cover, and nesting. A pair of bald eagles
also nest on the refuge.
About 74 percent of the refuge is slightly
.The refuge has a surface area of 8,231 acres (33.31 km2). Of this, 7,357 acres (29.77 km2) is in North Carolina and 874 acres (3.54 km2) is in Virginia.[3]
References
- ^ "Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge General Brochure" (PDF). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2018. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
- ^ "Lands Report | National Wildlife Refuge". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.