I 49. 44/2: R 82/3/993 P RLE Wildlife Ruby lake NatillntllWildlife Refuge ZIMMERMAN LIBRARY UNIV. OF NEW MEXteo FEB 1 0 1994 U.S. Regional Depos1to A Refuge for Nesting and Migrating Waterfowl and Other Wildlife The Habitat Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in The refuge, at an elevation of 6,000 feet, consists of an 1938. It encompasses 37,632 acres at the south end of extensive bulrush marsh interspersed with pockets of Ruby Valley. This land was once covered by a 200 foot open water. Fish are abundant. Islands scattered deep, 300,800-acre lake known as Franklin Lake. Today throughout provide good nesting habitat for many bird 12,000 acres of marsh remain on the refuge. Just north of species. the refuge, a 15,000-acre seasonal wetland is now referred to as Franklin Lake. Over 200 springs flow into the marsh along its west border _...)/ creating riparian habitat which is used by many songbirds, To Elko �� and Welle snipe, rail and small mammals. They also provide a water FRANKLIN source for larger mammals. With slight increases in LAKE elevation, wet meadows gradate into grasslands and sagebrush-rabbitbrush habitat. Pinon pines and juniper cover the slopes of the Ruby Mountains that rise to 11,000 feet along the west side of the refuge. Canyons provide habitat for a variety of wildlife. Rock cliffs provide raptors with nesting and perching sites. A mountainside of dead trees, home for ROAD cavity dwelling birds, was the result of a 1979 wildfire. BRESSMAN CABIN LOOP MAIN BOAT LANDING -4,__,,� ·�I! I N � 0 3 Miles 0 2 4 Kilometer� RANCH dead pinon tree General Key BIRDS bam ,wallow � Season 6 The following bird list includes 207 species observed on Sp - Spring (March through May) or near the refuge. In addition, 23 species are listed as S - Summer (June through August) accidentals because they have only been observed once or F - Fall (September through November) twice in the area. Species known to nest locally (*) are W - Winter (December through February) identified .. Bird life can be seen throughout all the habitat types, Abundance from the valley floor to the mountain peaks. The refuge is a - abundant (likely to be seen in large numbers) a significant waterfowl area in Nevada providing a� im­ c - common (usually seen in proper habitat) portant feeding and resting stop in the Pacific Flyway. u - uncommon (seen regularly in small numbers) o - occasional (irregular occurrence) During summer, the marshes provide excellent habitat r - rare (rarely seen) for nesting canvasbacks and redheads along with several ? - mammal species speculated to exist in area colonial nesters-the white-faced ibis, the great blue h - mammal species historically reported (prior to 1940) heron, and the black-crowned night heron. Greater sand­ hill cranes nest along the marsh's edge. Trumpeter swans were introduced into the valley from Montana resulting in several pairs nesting on the refuge each year. Prairie Habitat falcons nest locally and forage on the refuge. The following symbols are used to indicate in which hab­ itats each wildlife species would most likely be found. It is important to remember that use of an area depends on the season and an animal's activity, especially for Common names and taxonomic order follow the 6th birds that are highly mobile. edition of the "A.0.U. Checklist of North American Birds" (1983). 1 - Marsh 2 - Riparian 3 - Flowing Water/Collection Ditch 4 - Wet Meadows 5 - Grasslands 6 - Sagebrush/Rabbitbrush 7 - Pinon/Juniper 8 - Canyons 9 - Rocky Areas/Cliffs 10 - Caves 11 - Buildings 12 - Widespread I Threatened/Endangered Species I > Introduced Species *Bird species known to nest locally sparse vegetation COMMON NAME COMMON NAME HABITAT Sp s F w LOONS OSPREY, KITES, EAGLES AND HAWKS Common Loon ················· Osprey ........................ 1 r I Bald Eagle ! ..................... 12 0 0 GREBES * Northern Harrier ................ 12 C C C C * Pied-billed Grebe ............... C C C u * Sharp-shinned Hawk ........... 2 0 0 0 Horned Grebe .................. 0 0 * Cooper's Hawk ................. 2 0 0 0 * Eared Grebe ··················· C C C u Northern Goshawk ............. 2 0 * Western Grebe .............. ... r u .,. * Swainson's Hawk .............. 5,6 0 0 0 0 Clark's Grebe . u u * Red-tailed Hawk ............... 12 C C C 0 * Ferruginous Hawk .............. 5,6 0 0 0 0 PELICANS AND CORMORANTS Rough-legged Hawk ............ 5,6 C 0 C C American White Pelican ......... 1 0 u u * Golden Eagle ·················· 5,9 u u u 0 . Double-crested Cormorant . ..... 1 u u u FALCONS BITIERNS, HERONS AND EGRETS * American Kestrel ............... 5 C C C * American Bittern ··············· 1 C C C >l Peregrine Falcon !............... 8,9 * Great Blue Heron ............... 1 C C C C * Prairie Falcon ·················· 5,9 u u * Great Egret .................... 1 r 0 * Snowy Egret ................... 1 C C u GALLINACEOUS BIRDS Cattle Egret .................... 5 r >* Gray Partridge ................. 5 * Black-crowned Night-Heron ..... 1 C C C 0 >* Chukar ........................ 8 r Green-backed Heron ............. 1,2 r * Blue Grouse ................... 7 r u u * Sage Grouse ................... 5,6 C C C C IBIS AND SPOONBILLS * White-faced Ibis ................ 1,4 C a C RAILS * Virginia Rail .................... u u u WATERFOWL * Sora ·························· u u Tundra Swan .................. 1 u C C * Common Moorhen . ............. r r * Trumpeter Swan ................ 1 u u u u * American Coot . ................ a a a C Greater White-fronted Goose ..... 1 0 0 Snow Goose ................... 1 0 CRANES * Canada Goose ................. 1,4 C C C C * Sandhill Crane . ................ 4,5 C C u Wood Duck .................... 3,2 u Green-winged Teal ............. 1 C a C PLOVERS * Mallard ························ 1 a a a C Black-bellied Plover ············ 1 * Northern Pintail ................ 1 C u a C * Killdeer . ....................... 4,5 C C C r * Blue-winged Teal ....... ······· 1 u u u * Cinnamon Teal ................. 1 a a C u STILTS AND AVOCETS * Northern Shoveler .............. 1 C C C u * Black-necked Stilt ·············· 0 C u * Gadwall ....................... 1 a a a C * American Avocet . .............. 0 C u * American Wigeon .............. 1 C u C C * Canvasback ................... 1 a a a u SHOREBIRDS * Redhead ...................... 1 a a a u Greater Yellowlegs . ............ 1 0 0 * Ring-necked Duck ............. 1 C u u C Lesser Yellowlegs . ............. 1 u u * Lesser Scaup .................. 1 C C C C Solitary Sandpiper . ............. 1 C C Common Goldeneye ............ 1 u u C *Willet .. ........................ 4,5 C C u Barrow's Goldeneye ............ 1 r r * Spotted Sandpiper . ............. 1 C C C Bufflehead ..................... 1 u C C * Long-billed Curlew . ............ 4,5 C C Hooded Merganser ............. 1 0 0 0 Least Sandpiper ................ 1 C C C Common Merganser ............ 1 u u u Long-billed Dowitcher .......... 1 0 u 0 Red-breasted Merganser ........ 1 r r r Western Sandpiper ...... ........ 1 * Ruddy Duck ................... 1 C C C u Marbled Godwit . ................ 1,4 VULTURES * Turkey Vulture ................. 5 C C u /7,. : Bfack-necked SW!4 COMMON NAME HABITAT Sp F w COMMON NAME HABITAT Sp s F w SNIPE LARKS * Common Snipe .................. 1,2 u C u u * Horned Lark ................... 5 C C C C PHALAROPES SWALLOWS * Wilson's Phalarope .............. 0 0 0 * Tree Swallow . ................. 2,7 C a a Red-necked Phalarope ........... 0 0 * Violet-green Swallow ........... 7,9 C a a * Northern Rough-winged Swallow 11,9 C C GULLS AND TERNS Bank Swallow ............. ..... 11,6 C C C Franklin's Gull ................... 0 0 0 * Cliff Swallow ................... 11,9 a a a Ring-billed Gull .................. 0 0 u * Barn Swallow .................. 11 C C C California Gull ................... 0 0 0 Caspian Tern .................... 0 u 0 JAYS, MAGPIES AND CROWS * Forster's Tern ................... C C u * Scrub Jay ...................... 7 u u u * Black Tern ...................... C C u * Pinyan Jay ..................... 7 u u u C 0 0 DOVES * Clark's Nutcracker .............. 7 0 0 * Black-billed Magpie 12 C C C C Rock Dove ...................... 11 0 ............ * American Crow ................ 12 0 u u 0 * Mourning Dove .................. 7,5 a C a * Common Raven ................ 12 C C C C OWLS CHICKADEES AND TITMICE * Great Horned Owl ··············· 2 C C C C * Burrowing Owl .................. 5,6 u u u Black-capped Chickadee ....... 8,2 0 * Long-eared Owl' ................. 7,2 u u u * Mountain Chickadee ............ 2,8 u u u C * Short-earedOwl ................. 5,6 C C C * Plain Titmouse ................. 7 C C C C * NorthernSaw-whet Owl .......... 7 u u u BUSH TI TS GOATSUCKERS * Bushtit ........................ 7 C C C C * Common Nighthawk.............. 12 C C u * Common Poorwill ................ 7,6 u u u NU THATCHES * Red-breasted Nuthatch ......... 7 C C C SWIFTS * White-throated Swift .............. 8,9 u u u CREEPERS * Brown Creeper ........... ······ 7,2 u u u HUMMINGBIRDS * Black-chinned Hummingbird ...... 8,5 u u u WRENS * Calliope Hummingbird ............ 2,8 u u u * Rock Wren .................... 9 u u u * Broad-tailed Hummingbird ........ 2,5 u u u * Canyon Wren .................. 8,9 u u u r C C Rufous Hummingbird ............. 2,5 u * House Wren ................... 2,4 C C C KINGFISHERS * Marsh Wren ................... 1 a a a u * Belted Kingfisher ................ 2 u u u u DIPPERS WOODPECKERS American Dipper ............... 2,3 0 0 0 0 * Lewis' Woodpecker .............. 7,8 u C u Red-naped Sapsucker ........... 2 0 0 0 KINGLE T$, BLUEBIRDS AND THRUSHES * Downy Woodpecker ............. 2,7 u u u u Golden-crowned Kinglet . 7 u u u * HairyWoodpecker ............... 2,7 u u u u Ruby-crowned Kinglet .......... 7,2 u u u * Northern Flicker ................. 5,7 C C C u * Mountain Bluebird .............. 5 C u C * Townsend's Solitaire ............ 7,3 u u u u FLYCATCHERS Veery ......................... 8,2 C * Olive-sided Flycatcher ............ 2,7 u Swainson's Thrush ............. 2,4 u u u * Western Wood-Pewee ............ 2 u u Hermit Thrush .................