Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge

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Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Location South Dakota, USA
Nearest city Aberdeen, SD
Coordinates 45°46′21″N 98°15′9″W / 45.7725, -98.2525
Area 21,498 acres (87 km²)
Established 1935
Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of South Dakota and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Protected in 1935, the refuge has recorded over 266 bird species and another 40 species of mammals. Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is one of the refuges listed in the list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention signed in 1971. It is considered one of the finest migratory and non-migratory bird watching areas in the U.S. As recently as 1994, an estimated 150,000 nesting pairs of Franklin's gulls were recorded on the refuge, making this the largest known congregation of this species anywhere.

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