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Overview
A national wildlife refuge consisting mainly of swamps, and small groups of trees. It is located on East Galveston Bay approximately 1.5 hours east of Houston.
Notable Species
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Rarities
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Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Pied-billed Grebe, Brown Pelican, Neotropic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, American Bittern, Least Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, White-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Northern Harrier, Broad-winged Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, American Kestrel, King Rail, Sora, Purple Gallinule, Common Moorhen, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Black-necked Stilt, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Long-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's Phalarope, Laughing Gull, Caspian Tern, Forster's Tern, Mourning Dove, Inca Dove, Common Nighthawk, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Western Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue Jay, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, Marsh Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Dickcissel, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Grackle, Boat-tailed Grackle, Great-tailed Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Orchard Oriole, Hooded Oriole
Other Wildlife
Virginia Opossum, Eastern Red Bat, Nine-banded Armadillo, Swamp Rabbit, Common Muskrat, Nutria, Coyote, Common Racoon, River Otter, Bobcatand Feral Pig.
American Alligator, Snapping Turtles, Water and Box Turtles, Anolis lizard, 6 species of snake, Gulf Coast Toad and several species of frog.
Over 50 species of butterflies, 10 species of dragonflies and damselflies, and other insects and spiders have been recorded on the Refuge.
Site Information
Anahuac NWR is a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
The Refuge is 34,296 acres in size and consists of coastal marsh (fresh, intermediate, brackish and saline), coastal prairie (non-saline and saline), and coastal woodlands.
History and Use
Anahuac NWR was established February 27, 1963.
Recreational Use: Annual visitation to the Anahuac NWR exceeds 72,000 visitors. Uses include: Wildlife observation and photography Waterfowl hunting Recreational fishing and crabbing Hiking, canoeing and kayaking
Commercial Use: Controlled livestock grazing Alligator harvest Cooperative rice farming Oil and gas production
Areas of Interest
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Access and Facilities
To reach the refuge from Houston take IH-10 east 45 miles to the SH61 exit at Hankamer. Go south on SH61 four miles to SH65. At SH65 continue straight onto FM 562. Go eight miles to FM 1985 and turn left. Go about 3 miles to the refuge entrance on the right.
From High Island take SH 124 north about five miles to FM 1985. Turn left and go about six miles to the refuge entrance on the left.
From Beaumont take IH 10 west to Winnie. In Winnie take SH 124 south 10 miles to FM 1985. Turn west (right) on FM 1985. Go about six miles to the refuge entrance on the left.
The refuge's main entrance is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week year-round for day use activities. The refuge office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The East Bay Bayou Tract is open 7 days a week from 6 AM to 7 PM for day use activities.
No overnight camping is permitted.
There is no entrance fee.
MapQuest MAP [1] to Anahuac NWR
Contact Details
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External Links
USFWS website for Anahuac: [2]
Rail Walks are scheduled in the spring at Anahuac. Here's a trip report from Birdforum member, Dave B Smith: [3]
Friends of Anahuac website, with the Rail Walk schedule: [4]
Reviews
bernerjc's review great for shorebirds and rails. Three main areas within the Refuge: Shoveler Pond, trhe Willows and East Bay
Occasionally good for migrating warblers at The Willows but not consistently good.
95 species seen over the last year Aug 2004-July 2005
here are # of each species for 6 months from that period (all data from www.ebird.org) "X" = means species present but no number counted "--" means species absent
Aug 04, Sep 04, Mar 05, Apr 05, Jun 05, Jul 05
Black-bellied Whistling Duck -- 4 -- -- 12 1
Fulvous Whistling Duck 10 1 20 10 12 --
Mottled Duck -- 7 3 6 -- --
Blue-winged Teal -- -- 5 X -- --
Northern Shoveler -- -- 2 X -- --
Pied-billed Grebe -- -- 8 4 -- --
Brown Pelican -- -- -- -- 10 --
Neotropic Cormorant -- -- 3 X 11 --
Double-crested Cormorant-- -- -- -- X --
American Bittern -- -- 4 1 1 --
Least Bittern 5 -- -- 3 3 1
Great Blue Heron -- 1 2 X 4 --
Great Egret 2 44 2 X 15 6
Snowy Egret 3 1 X -- 30 --
Little Blue Heron 47 7 2 X 4 --
Tricolored Heron 2 -- X -- 6 2
Reddish Egret -- -- 1 -- 2 --
Cattle Egret 20 221 1 X 12 22
Green Heron -- 1 -- X 2 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron -- 1 1 -- 2 --
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1 -- 1 -- 2 --
White Ibis 1 2 30 X 12 2
Glossy Ibis -- 1 -- -- 6 1
White-faced Ibis 3 5 10 X 9 --
Roseate Spoonbill -- 6 -- -- 40 --
Wood Stork -- 4 -- -- 50 --
Black Vulture -- 12 1 -- 3 1
Turkey Vulture 2 -- 3 X 5 --
White-tailed Kite -- -- 1 -- -- --
Mississippi Kite -- -- X -- -- --
Northern Harrier -- -- 3 X -- --
Broad-winged Hawk -- -- -- X -- --
Swainson's Hawk -- -- -- X -- --
Red-tailed Hawk -- -- -- X -- --
Crested Caracara -- -- 2 -- -- --
American Kestrel -- -- 2 -- -- --
King Rail -- -- -- X -- --
Sora -- -- -- X -- --
Purple Gallinule 8 -- -- 5 20 37
Common Moorhen 10 12 50 X 35 57
American Coot -- -- 50 X X 3
Black-bellied Plover -- -- X X -- --
Semipalmated Plover -- -- -- X -- --
Killdeer -- 9 22 X 4 1
Black-necked Stilt -- 4 -- 5 7 3
Greater Yellowlegs -- -- X 5 -- --
Lesser Yellowlegs -- -- -- X -- --
Willet -- -- -- -- 1 --
Pectoral Sandpiper -- -- -- X -- --
Dunlin -- -- -- X -- --
Short-billed Dowitcher -- -- 380 X -- --
Long-billed Dowitcher -- -- X 5 -- --
Wilson's Snipe -- -- 1 -- -- --
Wilson's Phalarope -- -- -- X -- --
Laughing Gull -- -- -- X 7 3
Caspian Tern -- -- 2 -- -- --
Forster's Tern -- -- 1 X -- --
Mourning Dove 1 40 6 X 10 1
Inca Dove -- -- X -- -- --
Common Nighthawk -- -- 1 -- 1 --
Belted Kingfisher -- -- -- X -- --
Downy Woodpecker -- -- -- -- -- 1
Western Kingbird -- -- -- -- X --
Eastern Kingbird 2 -- -- X 20 19
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher -- -- -- -- X 3
Loggerhead Shrike 6 1 4 X 6 3
Blue Jay 1 -- 1 -- -- 1
Purple Martin -- -- -- X 2 --
Tree Swallow -- -- -- X -- --
Cliff Swallow -- -- -- -- X 5
Barn Swallow 12 -- 1 X 20 20
Carolina Wren -- -- -- X -- --
Marsh Wren 5 -- -- X -- 3 19
Ruby-crowned Kinglet -- -- 1 -- -- --
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher 1 -- -- -- -- --
Northern Mockingbird 2 -- 9 X 5 3
European Starling -- -- X X -- --
Orange-crowned Warbler -- -- 1 -- -- --
Yellow-rumped Warbler -- -- 10 X -- --
Common Yellowthroat -- -- -- X 5 18
Chipping Sparrow -- -- 1 X -- --
Savannah Sparrow -- -- 20 X -- --
Seaside Sparrow -- -- -- -- 4 --
Song Sparrow -- -- 3 -- -- --
Swamp Sparrow -- -- 1 -- -- --
Northern Cardinal -- -- 6 X 2 1
Dickcissel -- -- -- 2 4 9
Red-winged Blackbird 48 315 20 X 75 46
Eastern Meadowlark -- -- -- X 7 8
Common Grackle -- -- -- X -- --
Boat-tailed Grackle 15 -- 22 -- 8 12
Great-tailed Grackle -- 30 5 X -- --
Brown-headed Cowbird -- -- -- -- 1 --
Orchard Oriole 1 -- -- -- 6 3
Hooded Oriole -- -- -- 1 -- --
Pros
- great view of shorebirds from raised 2.5 mile rd around Shoveler Pond
Cons
- not a lot of warbler habitat or woods. The Willows is a warbler trap in Spring but it is not nearly as reliable as High Island
Steve Gross's review Often the most reliable location on the upper Texas coast for Least Bittern, Purple Gallinule, Gull-billed Tern, and Yellow Rail.
King Rail will often stand in plain view on the loop road in spring.
Can be great for ducks and shorebirds in season; East Bayou Tract good for migrant shorebirds and Fulvous Whistling-Duck (the duck can also be found on Shoveler Pond). Glossy Ibis, Hudsonian Godwit, etc. all possibilities at East Bayou Tract in season. I've seen Swallow-tailed Kite there as well. Pros
- Diverse habitats; often large numbers of birds. Good proximity to High Island and/or Smith Point
