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Description:
This refuge on this tiny mangrove island in the Indian River Lagoon is an important rookery
for brown pelicans and more than 30 other birds. It was designated by
President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 as the nation's first National Wildlife
Refuge. The island is accessible
only by private boat or chartered tours. Nesting birds are easily disturbed,
so visitors must not approach too closely or disembark.
Watchable Wildlife:
If you visit during nesting season (late November through late July), expect
to see brown pelicans, wood storks, white ibises, black-crowned night
herons, double-crested cormorants, reddish, snowy and great egrets and great
blue, little blue and tricolored herons. In the winter, watch for lesser
scaup, blue-winged teal, mottled ducks, common loons, laughing gulls, white
pelicans and red-breasted mergansers. Summer visitors may spot roseate
spoonbills, magnificent frigatebirds and least terns. Sea turtles, dolphins
and manatees are just some of the many marine animals that feed in the
Indian River.
Ownership:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Contact:
(772) 562-3909
Directions:
The refuge is located near Sebastian. Contact the Merritt Island National
Wildlife Refuge for visitor information.
Related Sites:
Other East Central Florida Wildlife Sites
Florida State
Parks |
Wildlife Viewing Site
