Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Wildlife Sanctuary · United States

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Photo © John Leszczynski from Washington, DC, USA

Photo © John Leszczynski from Washington, DC, USA — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Tidal marshes and brackish waterways define this wildlife sanctuary where the Chesapeake Bay's influence reshapes the landscape with every rise and fall of the water. Shallow pools, reed beds, and expanses of salt marsh create a mosaic of habitats that shift seasonally between open water and emergent vegetation, supported by the humid subtropical climate that brings abundant rainfall year-round without a pronounced dry season. Waterfowl thrive here in extraordinary numbers, from dabbling ducks to diving species that exploit the nutrient-rich shallows, while wading birds stalk the marsh edges and mudflats in search of small fish and crustaceans. Raptors patrol overhead, drawn by the concentration of prey, and songbirds shelter within the dense vegetation. The sanctuary's brackish character—neither fully salt nor fresh—creates conditions unique to this coastal transition zone, supporting specialized plant and invertebrate communities that anchor the entire food web.

For wildlife photographers and patient birdwatchers, the refuge demands early starts and a willingness to move slowly through its labyrinthine waterways. Seasonal migrations amplify the drama: autumn and winter bring waves of migratory waterfowl that transform the refuge into a living canvas of movement and color, while spring offers breeding activity and the return of transient species. The low Maryland landscape offers few natural vantage points, making the refuge's maintained observation areas and waterside trails invaluable for close observation and photography. The light here is characteristically soft during the Chesapeake's cooler months, and the interplay of open water, marsh grasses, and sky creates compositional opportunities that reward those who linger. Access by canoe or small boat opens deeper sections to adventurous naturalists, though roadside and walking access serves those seeking a more measured exploration of this vital stopover for migratory birds and year-round residents alike.

Website fws.gov/refuge/blackwater

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Aquila chrysaetos

Branta canadensis

Branta hutchinsii

Anser caerulescens

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchus

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Cygnus buccinator

Cygnus columbianus

Blue-winged Teal

Spatula discors

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

American Wigeon

Mareca americana

Anas platyrhynchos

American Black Duck

Northern Pintail

Aythya valisineria

Aythya americana

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Melanitta perspicillata

Bucephala albeola

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Oxyura jamaicensis

Meleagris gallopavo

Common Nighthawk

Chordeiles minor

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus americanus

Zenaida macroura

Rallus crepitans

Rallus limicola

Porzana carolina

Common Gallinule

Gallinula galeata

Fulica americana

Antigone canadensis

Pied-billed Grebe

Podilymbus podiceps

American Oystercatcher

Haematopus palliatus

Black-necked Stilt

Himantopus mexicanus

American Avocet

Recurvirostra americana

Pluvialis squatarola

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Charadrius vociferus

Semipalmated Plover

Charadrius semipalmatus

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Hudsonian Godwit

Limosa haemastica

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Short-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

American Woodcock

Gallinago delicata

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolor

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Solitary Sandpiper

Tringa solitaria

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Tringa semipalmata

Greater Yellowlegs

Tringa melanoleuca

Calidris canutus

Calidris pugnax

Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopus

Calidris alpina

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutilla

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Western Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon nilotica

Hydroprogne caspia

Chlidonias niger

Sterna forsteri

Thalasseus maximus

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Leucophaeus atricilla

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Great Black-backed Gull

Larus hyperboreus

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianus

Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

Plegadis falcinellus

White-faced Ibis

American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

Tricolored Heron

Egretta tricolor

Butorides virescens

American White Pelican

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Pelecanus occidentalis

Coragyps atratus

Pandion haliaetus

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

Northern Harrier

Circus hudsonius

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

American Barn Owl

Short-eared Owl

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Eastern Screech Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Megaceryle alcyon

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

Hairy Woodpecker

Leuconotopicus villosus

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Falco columbarius

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Sayornis phoebe

Eastern Wood Pewee

Contopus virens

Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Great Crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus

Vireo olivaceus

Blue-headed Vireo

Vireo solitarius

White-eyed Vireo

Cyanocitta cristata

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Corvus ossifragus

Bombycilla cedrorum

Tufted Titmouse

Baeolophus bicolor

Carolina Chickadee

Poecile carolinensis

Eremophila alpestris

Tachycineta bicolor

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Hirundo rustica

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa

Cistothorus palustris

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Troglodytes hiemalis

Northern House Wren

Troglodytes aedon

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

Polioptila caerulea

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

Certhia americana

Dumetella carolinensis

Northern Mockingbird

Mimus polyglottos

Toxostoma rufum

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Eastern Bluebird

Hylocichla mustelina

Catharus guttatus

Turdus migratorius

Passer domesticus

Anthus rubescens

American Goldfinch

Grasshopper Sparrow

Ammodramus savannarum

Chipping Sparrow

Spizella passerina

Clay-colored Sparrow

Spizella pallida

Spizella pusilla

Red Fox Sparrow

Passerella iliaca

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Pooecetes gramineus

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Melospiza melodia

Melospiza georgiana

Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Eastern Meadowlark

Sturnella magna

Baltimore Oriole

Icterus galbula

Icterus spurius

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Brown-headed Cowbird

Rusty Blackbird

Euphagus carolinus

Quiscalus quiscula

Boat-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus major

Seiurus aurocapilla

Worm-eating Warbler

Helmitheros vermivorum

Northern Waterthrush

Parkesia noveboracensis

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Orange-crowned Warbler

Leiothlypis celata

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

Cape May Warbler

Setophaga tigrina

Northern Parula

Setophaga americana

Magnolia Warbler

Setophaga magnolia

Bay-breasted Warbler

Setophaga castanea

American Yellow Warbler

Setophaga aestiva

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Setophaga caerulescens

Setophaga palmarum

Setophaga pinus

Setophaga coronata

Prairie Warbler

Setophaga discolor

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Spiza americana

Passerina caerulea

Passerina cyanea

Fulvous Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna bicolor

Cairina moschata

Spatula cyanoptera

White-winged Scoter

Melanitta deglandi

Melanitta americana

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Northern Bobwhite

Colinus virginianus

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Chuck-will's-widow

Antrostomus carolinensis

Eastern Whip-poor-will

Antrostomus vociferus

Chaetura pelagica

Black-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Podiceps auritus

Upland Sandpiper

Bartramia longicauda

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Numenius hudsonicus

Phalaropus fulicarius

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Calidris subruficollis

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Sternula antillarum

Franklin's Gull

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Red-throated Loon

American White Ibis

Eudocimus albus

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Nyctanassa violacea

Swallow-tailed Kite

Elanoides forficatus

Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Aegolius acadicus

Bubo scandiacus

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Contopus cooperi

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Empidonax flaviventris

Acadian Flycatcher

Empidonax virescens

Least Flycatcher

Empidonax minimus

Western Kingbird

Tyrannus verticalis

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus forficatus

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Myiarchus cinerascens

Philadelphia Vireo

Vireo philadelphicus

Eastern Warbling Vireo

Yellow-throated Vireo

Vireo flavifrons

Loggerhead Shrike

Lanius ludovicianus

Riparia riparia

American Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Cistothorus stellaris

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

Grey-cheeked Thrush

Catharus minimus

Catharus fuscescens

Evening Grosbeak

Hesperiphona vespertina

Haemorhous purpureus

Haemorhous mexicanus

Acanthis flammea

Loxia curvirostra

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicus

Plectrophenax nivalis

Chondestes grammacus

American Tree Sparrow

Spizelloides arborea

Nelson's Sparrow

Ammospiza nelsoni

Saltmarsh Sparrow

Ammospiza caudacuta

Lincoln's Sparrow

Melospiza lincolnii

Yellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Louisiana Waterthrush

Parkesia motacilla

Blue-winged Warbler

Vermivora cyanoptera

Prothonotary Warbler

Protonotaria citrea

Tennessee Warbler

Leiothlypis peregrina

Nashville Warbler

Leiothlypis ruficapilla

Kentucky Warbler

Geothlypis formosa

Setophaga citrina

Cerulean Warbler

Setophaga cerulea

Blackburnian Warbler

Setophaga fusca

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Setophaga pensylvanica

Blackpoll Warbler

Setophaga striata

Yellow-throated Warbler

Setophaga dominica

Black-throated Green Warbler

Setophaga virens

Cardellina canadensis

Wilson's Warbler

Cardellina pusilla

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

Northern Gannet

Roseate Spoonbill

Mangrove Warbler

Setophaga petechia

Virginia Opossum

Didelphis virginiana

Eastern Cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Eastern Fox Squirrel

North American Beaver

Castor canadensis

Ondatra zibethicus

North American Least Shrew

Cryptotis parvus

Eastern Red Bat

Lasiurus borealis

North American River Otter

Lontra canadensis

Northern Raccoon

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

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