| Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
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Topography of Anaho Island |
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| Location | Washoe County, Nevada, United States |
| Nearest city | Reno, Nevada |
| Area | 247 acres (1.00 km2) |
| Established | 1913 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Official website | |
The Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge on Anaho Island in Pyramid Lake, Nevada.[1] The refuge was established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 as a sanctuary for colonial nesting birds. It is home to one of the two largest colonies of Pelicans—American White Pelicans—in the western U.S. Other birds found on the island include California Gulls, Caspian Terns, Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, and Snowy Egrets.[2]
No boats are allowed within 500 feet of the refuge. Refuge staff and volunteers visit the island to keep track of birds and band juvenile pelicans. An estimated 8-10,000 pelicans used to return to Anaho Island each spring from their winter homes in Southern California and Baja California, Mexico. In recent years the number of pelican nests have dropped dramatically, due to water diversions impacting the fish runs of the endangered cui-ui, a staple food of the pelican.[3]
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.