Records Committee | State Checklist | Birding Ethics | IAQ Archives | Story Archives | Photo Archives

Site Photo Gallery

	Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge
OBG Site Rating

Location:	South Central Indiana Jackson and Jennings Counties, Indiana DeLorme Page 51, grids 12 E and 12 F GPS Coordinates: 38°58'01”N 85°47'44”W – Main Entrance 38°57'35”N 85°47'55”W – Visitors Center 38°57'19”N 85°47'54”W – Richart Lake 38°57'19”N 85°48'43”W – Endicott Marsh 38°56'25”N 85°49'39”W – West Entrance 38°56'25”N 85°49'03”W – M6 38°56'27”N 85°48'32”W – M5 38°56'14”N 85°47'51”W – Stanfield Boat Ramp 38°55'59”N 85°48'14”W – Myers Cabin 38°55'16”N 85°47'48”W – Sandhill Ponds 38°56'02”N 85°47'57”W – Stanfield Lake Dam
Description:	Muscatatuck, Indiana's first National Wildlife Refuge, was established in 1966. Funds from the sale of federal “duck stamps” were used to purchase 7,724 acres which were set aside to provide resting and feeding habitat for migratory waterfowl. Muscatatuck is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of over 500 refuges whose habitat is managed specifically for wildlife. The refuge also operates a 78 acre parcel near Bloomington, IN known as the “Restle Unit” that will not be covered in this site guide. The refuge takes its name from the Muscatatuck River which forms its southern boundary. The name means “the land of the winding waters”. The name is a very good description given of the area that the Native Americans were attracted to for its abundance of wildlife. The refuge contains a wide variety of habitats on its gently rolling terrain. “Approximately 55% of the land is woodland (43% upland forest and 57% bottomland hardwood forest), 20% shrub/scrub, 13% water, 11% cropland and 1% grassland” (LEWIS and VANOSDOL 1999). There are three large lakes (Richart, Stanfield and Moss), two creeks (Mutton Creek Ditch and Storm Creek Ditch), many marshes and moist soil units(flooded in the fall and drained or allowed to dry up in the spring) including the Mac Donald and Endicott Marshes. The refuge also maintains a few “green tree reservoirs” that are flooded in the fall then drained in the spring. Muscatatuck has 8 hiking trails varying in length from 0.2 miles to 4 miles. All trails are easy to moderate although the two river trails may become impassible due to flooding. The 0.4 mile self-guided Chestnut Ridge Interpretive Trail leaves from the visitor center parking lot and is wheel chair accessible, Richart Lake Trail 0.9 miles, Endicott Trail 0.2 miles, Bird Trail 0.7 miles, Turkey Trail 1 mile, Wood Duck Trail 0.5 miles, East River Trail 3 miles and West River Trail 4 miles. The Muscatatuck self-guided auto tour is a 4 mile loop that begins and ends near the Visitors Center. About half of this route is one way. Along this route are Richart Lake, 4 large marshes, cropland (a 57 acre “farming for a Clean Watershed” project), green tree units, and moist soil units. The refuge is home to a great variety of birds with over 280 species having been recorded. At least 90 species breed here, including Bald Eagle which fledged 2 young in 2002 and three young in 2003. The 2003 class of Whooping Cranes used the refuge as a stopping site. 17 species are of management concern. Wood Thrush, Cerulean Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslow's Sparrow, Sedge Wren, Eastern Meadowlark, and American Woodcock have a high priority conservation status with Henslow's Sparrow and Sedge Wren being state endangered species (LEWIS and VANOSDOL 1999). Muscatatuck NWR is recognized as a “continentally important” bird area. The refuge became a reintroduction site for the River Otter in 1995 when 25 otters from Louisiana were released. They have adjusted well to their new home and may be seen on most trips. The refuge is also home to the endangered Copperbelly Water Snake which is abundant on the refuge. There is a 97-acre Acid Seep Spring Research Natural Area located on the refuge. This type of seep spring is very unusual in Indiana and would be more commonly found in Canada. The boggy area contains several species indigenous to an acid seep spring including: alder, winterberry, and black chokeberry; 4 species of ferns, including spotted, touch- me- not, and halberd tearthumb; and at least 3 species of sedges: roughleaf goldenrod, bog bluegrass and autumn bluegrass (INDNR). The Muscatatuck Wildlife Society operates a bookstore afternoons and weekends, maintains the feeders at the bird viewing room, helps fund projects on the refuge, works on cabin restoration and trail maintenance as well as staffing events held at the refuge i.e. Take a Kid Fishing Day, Wings Over Muscatatuck Festival and Log Cabin Day. The property is home to the restored Myers cabin and barn and 2 pioneer cemeteries. A new conservation Learning Center is being built adjacent to the Visitors Center and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2004. Typical Time to bird: 3-4 hours will give pretty good coverage of all sites within refuge.
Birds:	Overview: Muscatatuck is a great location for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds and passerines. A large variety of dabblers and divers may be seen during spring and fall migrations. Several species of shorebirds visit when water levels are right. Families of passerines to be expected are: woodpeckers, flycatchers, vireos, swallows, wrens, thrushes, warblers, tanagers, sparrows and orioles. Specialty Species: Tundra Swans can be found December through early March on any of the large lakes. Much of the refuge is managed for Wood Ducks. Large numbers occur here and may be found any time there is open water--especially in the greentree reservoirs. 117 were seen in an hour in October 2003. Ospreys usually make appearances on Richart or Stanfield lakes late April through mid-May. There is a nest platform on Richart Lake that unfortunately has not been used. Bald Eagles nested successfully in 2002 (2 young fledged) and 2003 (3 young fledged) in the closed area, although they can often be seen on other parts of the refuge year round. American Woodcock occur February through May. Courtship flights may be witnessed just north of the main entrance gate, north of the Sandhill Ponds or across the parking lot from Myers Cabin. Yellow-billed Cuckoo can be heard and seen mid-April through June. The area just east of Sioux Pond is a good area for these birds. Large numbers of Red-headed Woodpeckers nest on the refuge. They may be seen nearly year round in and around M-2 and M-6. Check the Visitor Center feeders December through March for Red-breasted Nuthatches. Late July through September Sedge Wrens can be found at south Endicott Marsh. The area around Mallard Lake and Lake Sheryl are good spots for Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat and Orchard Oriole mid-April through June. Mid-April through June just east of M-6 where the road crosses Mutton creek listen and look for Prothonotary Warbler and Northern Parula. Check for Henslow's Sparrow in the Endicott Marsh area in May and June. Blue Grosbeak can often be seen late April through June in the area near the maintenance buildings. Noteworthy Records: Western Grebe - (08-Jul-1995); 4 birds found dead American White Pelican - (18-Apr-1994); (05-Apr-1996); (14-Oct-1998) Little Blue Heron - (10-May-2003) Black-crowned Night Heron - (11-May-2002) Glossy Ibis - (24-Oct-1992) Surf Scoter - (02-Dec-1995); (18-Mar-1996) White-winged Scoter - (04-Mar-1990) Black Scoter - (15-Nov-1995) Long-tailed Duck - (08-Mar-1997) Mississippi Kite - (20-Jun-2002) Northern Goshawk - (28-Nov-1993) Wilson's Phalarope - (10-May-2003) Yellow Rail - (23-Apr-1994) Common Tern - (10-May-1997) Black Tern - (May 1999) Long-eared Owl (01-Jan-2004) Northern Saw-whet Owl - (01-Jan-2004) Bewick's Wren - (29-May-1988) Golden-winged Warbler - (10-May-1997) Clay-colored Sparrow (Sep 2002); (Sep 2003) Brambling - (31-Mar-1996)
General:	Ownership: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Site Phone Number: 812-522-4352 Hours: The refuge is open daily sunrise to sunset. There are automatic gates inside the main and west entrances. The gates normally give plenty of time to leave the refuge after sunset before closing. Fees: None. Restrooms: Modern restrooms are available at the Visitors' Center. Pit toilets are located between Bird Trail and the Stanfield Lake boat ramp and at the Persimmon Lake parking lot. Lodging: There is no camping available on or near the refuge. Several national hotel / motel chains are available in nearby Seymour. Access Restrictions: There is a waterfowl sanctuary within the refuge that is closed to public access. The sanctuary is open to foot traffic only during National Wildlife Refuge Week the 2nd week of October. Guided tours are available during the Wings Over Muscatatuck festival the 2nd Saturday of May. It may be accessed other times of the year by special permission. Part of the refuge is open to hunting (deer, rabbit, quail) and access may be limited to birding from the road only. All hunting areas are well marked. Special Considerations: Please adhere to the "No vehicles beyond this point" signs located though out the property. Foot traffic beyond these signs is permitted. Temporal Considerations: March and September through November are the best times to visit the refuge for waterfowl. Mid-April through June are best for migrating passerines.
Directions:	From the North: Take I-65 South to exit 50A . Go east on US 50 for 3 miles. The main entrance to the refuge is on the right side of the road. An alternate route from north: US 31 south to US 50, turn left (east), go three miles to main entrance on right. From the South: Take I-65 North to exit 50A . Go east on US 50 for 3 miles. The main entrance to the refuge is on the right side of the road. An alternate route from north: US 31 north to US 50, turn right (east), go three miles to main entrance on right. From the East: Take US 50 west approximately 10 miles west of North Vernon, IN. The main entrance is on the left. From the West: Take US 50 east and continue three miles east of Seymour, IN. The main entrance to refuge is on the right.
References:	Folzenlogen, Robert. A Birder's Guide to the Cincinnati Tristate. Littleton, CO: Willow Press, 1995. Homoya, Mike. Report on 97-acre Acid Seep Spring Research Natural Area. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Keller, Charles E., Shirley A. Keller, and Timothy C. Keller. Indiana Birds and Their Haunts: A Checklist and Finding Guide. Second Edition. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986. Lewis, Jason, and Teresa Vanosdol. Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Breeding Bird Survey. February 1999. Scheffe, Charles E. "King Rail Visits Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge." Indiana Audubon Quarterly 56.3 (1978): 117-8. Seng, Phil T., and David J. Case. Indiana Wildlife Viewing Guide. Helena, MT: Falcon Press, 1992. White, Mel. National Geographic Guide to Birdwatching Sites - Eastern U.S. Washington, D.C.: The National Geographic Society, 1999.
Links:	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Muscatatuck NWR Information on Muscatatuck NWR from the U.S. FWS website. Wings Over Muscatatuck Website Website for the annual Wings Over Muscatatuck birding festival, including field trip registration and a schedule of events. Bird Checklist for Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Bird checklist from the U.S. Geological Survey website. Darlena Graham's Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Page An excellent discussion of the birds of Muscatatuck from Ned Keller's Birding in Cincinnati website. Exerpts on Muscatatuck NWR from "America's National Wildlife Refuges, A Complete Guide" From the Defenders of Wildlife website, selected information from the 2002 publication, America's National Wildlife Refuges, A Complete Guide.
Credits:	Author: Gary Dorman Additional Species Reports: Donna Stanley, U.S. FWS Editor: Darel Heitkamp Gallery Photos: Mark Trabue, Don Campbell, and Dan Kaiser This guide was developed through the collaborative efforts of Phil Kelly, Joanne Kelly, and Darel Heitkamp.