Waubay National Wildlife Refuge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waubay National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Waubay National Wildlife Refuge Location in South Dakota Show map of South Dakota Waubay National Wildlife Refuge Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Day County, South Dakota, United States
Nearest city	Waubay, South Dakota
Area	4,650 acres (18.8 km2)
Established	1935
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Waubay National Wildlife Refuge

Waubay National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota. "Waubay" means "a place where numbers of birds make their nests" in the Dakota language. The Refuge encompasses 4,650 acres (18.8 km²) of wetlands, native tallgrass prairie, and bur oak forest that provide a wide variety of nesting habitat for more than 100 species of waterfowl, song birds, and upland game birds as well as 140 additional bird species during migrations. Mammals include species from the ever-present white-tailed deer to the more elusive coyote and the diminutive pygmy shrew. The central location of Waubay National Wildlife Refuge in North America gives visitors the chance to see a mix of eastern, western, northern, and southern species.