San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex

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San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex

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San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex is composed of the San Luis, Merced, and San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuges -- wetlands, native uplands, and riparian woodlands managed for the benefit of wildlife in California's San Joaquin Valley.

06/11/2026

American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) are year-round residents of the San Luis NWR Complex, but they are especially visible this time of year when it’s easy to spot their brilliant flash of yellow as they fly through grasslands and overgrown areas. Look for them in areas of the refuge where there are sunflower and thistle plants for food; as well as shrubs and small trees out in the open for nesting. American goldfinches are strict vegetarians which is rare in the bird world. They eat seeds almost exclusively, only accidentally swallowing an insect every now and then. They favor seeds from plants like sunflower and thistle, as well as grasses and some trees. It is believed their strict vegetarian diet may protect them, somewhat, from the impacts of nest parasitizing by the brown-headed cowbird. Brown-headed cowbirds may lay eggs in a goldfinch nest and the eggs may hatch. However, the cowbird nestlings seldom survive more than a few days because they can’t survive on the all-seed diet provided by the goldfinch parents. This goldfinch was photographed while feeding in quail bush along the Pelican Nature Trail at the San Joaquin River NWR, courtesy of Rick Lewis.

06/07/2026

This California thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum) was another of a myriad of wildlife that greeted a recent visitor to the San Joaquin River NWR, who only had a few moments and simply took a stroll around the parking lot. This long-tailed, lanky songbird is one of many denizens of the dense, shrubland habitat found around the parking lot and along the Pelican Nature Trail at the refuge. Like their neighbors, the California towhee, California thrashers forage on the ground. However, unlike the towhees that forage with the double-scratch maneuver, thrashers sweep their long, curved bills through the leaf litter while stabilizing themselves with their long legs and tails. Also, unlike the towhees that feed almost exclusively on seeds, thrashers prey on mostly insects and other arthropods. Thrashers are relatives of the common northern mockingbird and, like the mockingbird, they incorporate imitations of other birds’ songs into their own, especially bird species that are their neighbors in the dense shrubland. Those species include California quail, wrentit, California scrub-jay, Bewick’s wren, Nuttall’s woodpecker, and spotted towhee. Photo courtesy of Rick Lewis.

06/06/2026

A frequent visitor to the refuges of the San Luis NWR Complex had only a few minutes recently to connect with nature at the San Joaquin River NWR. While there, they were impressed with the diversity of wildlife they saw, and they never left the parking lot! One bird that greeted them was the California towhee (Melozone crissalis). Adult California towhees are large sparrows with a rusty patch under their tails and around their bills. The favored habitat of towhees is dense, diverse shrublands like those found around the parking lot and the Pelican Nature Trail of the San Joaquin River NWR. Towhees eat mostly seeds gathered from the ground. When foraging on the ground, California towhees perform the maneuver known as the “double-scratch.” The birds lunge forward then quickly hop backward, scratching the ground with both feet as they go. After scratching, they quickly pounce on any food they’ve uncovered. During breeding season, towhees supplement their diet with insects like beetles and grasshoppers, as well as other invertebrates like millipedes, spiders, and snails. This bird was photographed courtesy of Rick Lewis.

06/01/2026

From a distance, double-crested cormorants appear as plain matte-black birds with long snaky necks. However, a closer look reveals a bird that is quite colorful with orange-yellow skin on their face and throat and aquamarine eyes. If one happens to catch sight of a double-crested cormorant with their mouth open, they will see that it’s bright blue on the inside. Also note the sharp hook at the end of this cormorant’s bill. A cormorant’s diet consists almost entirely of fish. They consume a wide variety of fish with more than 250 species recorded. That hook helps the bird catch and hold onto its slippery prey. Cormorants dive to pursue and catch their fish underwater. After capture, they must hold onto the fish as they bring it to the surface. Then, they must flip the fish in the air and catch it headfirst for easy swallowing. Visitors to the San Luis NWR can find double-crested cormorants in deep-water habitats like Salt Slough (along the Tule Elk Auto Tour route) and the canals along the Sousa Marsh Nature Trail and the southern leg of the Waterfowl Auto Tour route. This bird was photographed recently somewhere on the San Luis NWR, courtesy of Gary R. Zahm.

05/29/2026

Black-headed grosbeaks (Pheucticus melanocephalus) are summer breeding residents of the San Luis NWR Complex and most of the western United States. They have returned from winter spent throughout central Mexico. During nesting season, females build bulky, loosely-constructed nests, typically placed in the outer branches of smaller deciduous trees or shrubs near water. Nests are usually about 25 feet above the ground, well-concealed by leaves and branches. Black-headed grosbeaks usually produce just one brood each season. Both males and females share all the chick-rearing duties of sitting on the eggs and feeding their young. To see black-headed grosbeaks on the San Luis NWR, visitors should look for them in the riparian woodlands along Salt Slough from the Tule Elk Auto Tour route and along the Sousa Marsh Nature Trail. This black-headed grosbeak – a female or immature – was photographed this month somewhere along the Tule Elk Route, courtesy of Gary R. Zahm.

05/27/2026

The wood duck (Aix sponsa) is an especially beautiful species of duck that is a year-round resident of the San Luis NWR Complex. The wood duck’s common name comes from its preferred habitat of wooded wetlands where it nests in holes in trees, or manmade nest boxes, like this pair. Wood ducks belong to a group of ducks known as ‘perching’ ducks because their webbed feet are equipped with strong claws that allow them to grip bark and perch on branches in their woodland habitat. Wood ducks generally pair up in January. When breeding season arrives, pairs prefer to search for nest cavities early in the morning. Males stand outside while the females enter and examine a potential nesting site. That may be what’s happening in this photo. Preferred nesting sites will be from 2 to more than 60 feet above ground. The birds cannot create their own nest cavities, so they often choose a place where a tree branch has broken off, and the heartwood has subsequently rotted. The local cottonwood and willow trees are good choices because their branches break off easily and their soft wood rots quickly, leaving cavities perfect for birds like wood ducks. This pair of wood ducks was photographed along the Tule Elk Auto Tour Route on The San Luis NWR, courtesy of JFairbanks_photos.

05/11/2026

The white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) is a fairly common, large, long-legged wading bird seen throughout the seasonal wetlands of the San Luis NWR Complex during the winter. Visitors often wonder, however, why this bird is called a ‘white-faced’ ibis? This photo taken recently clearly answers that question. Breeding adult birds have a bare patch of pink skin in front of their eye which is bordered in white, hence the name. Nonbreeding and juvenile birds lack the bare skin patch and the white border. In good light, white-faced ibis shimmer with maroon, purple, green, and bronze feathers. Breeding adults also sport a ruby-red eye as seen on this beautiful bird. White-faced ibis are found year-round in the San Joaquin Valley. During nesting season, they usually nest on the ground, but sometimes in trees or shrubs hanging over water. The male ibis will offer several potential nesting sites to his mate, but the female chooses the final spot. An ibis nest is constructed of various types of plant material including rushes, reeds, stalks, and sticks. They can be as wide as 16 inches across and 7 inches deep, with an interior cup measuring about 9 inches across and 2 inches deep. Females lay 3 to 5 eggs and only raise one brood each year. Photo courtesy of Gary R. Zahm.

05/08/2026

A recent visitor had only a short time to get outside and connect with nature and the San Joaquin River NWR did not disappoint. The visitor said he never even left the parking lot. This red-tailed hawk soaring nearby was looking quite tattered and patchy, having lost some flight feathers and tail feathers. Red-tailed hawks in the San Joaquin Valley usually begin their annual molt in May and continue through October. Hawks and large raptors molt over an extended period of time – usually from spring through fall – rather than all at once, like waterfowl do. The process is gradual, as the birds lose and replace feathers a few at a time, allowing them to retain their ability to fly and hunt. It is also often symmetrical, meaning if a feather is lost from one wing, the corresponding feather on the other wing also drops. This helps maintain balance which is important for efficient flight. This bird clearly shows the symmetrical molt of its wing feathers, and several tail feathers are also missing. Photo courtesy of Rick Lewis.

05/06/2026

The national wildlife refuges of the San Luis NWR Complex in the San Joaquin Valley draw thousands of visitors each year, primarily during the winter and early spring when they are the winter home to an abundance of ducks and other waterfowl. The birds winter here because their food is in short supply in the frozen north. Waterfowl and other winter residents generally depart by late March or early April to travel back north for another breeding season in Alaska and Canada.
However, according to data collected by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, nearly 500,000 ducks from multiple species remain in California to breed. Mallards top the list accounting for more than half the resident breeding ducks. Cinnamon teal and gadwall round out the top three. A recent visitor to the Merced NWR captured this image of a mallard hen and her young brood. Mallards breed and nest on the ground in grasslands and uplands surrounding nearby wetlands. They prefer dense vegetation for covering their nests. A mere 24 to 48 hours after hatching, the ducklings are led by their mother to a wetland or other water source, which can be as much as a mile away. Mallard ducklings will stay with their mother until they can fly, which usually takes about 50 to 60 days. Photo courtesy of Gary R. Zahm.

04/22/2026

Unless one visits the refuges of the San Luis NWR Complex right about sunrise or late in the day near sundown, they are likely to overlook black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax). While common throughout wetlands of the San Joaquin Valley, black-crowned night herons are active only at night or at dusk. Otherwise, they retreat deep into dense stands of cattail and bulrush tules to sleep during the day. To find them, scan the edges of tule stands early in the morning when the birds have not yet fully disappeared into the vegetation. At the end of the day, as the sun sets, watch for them as they emerge from their daytime roost and hang out at the tule’s edges before flapping away to forage in the wetlands. Look for their clear white breasts that makes them quite visible against the darker vegetation. Black-crowned night herons are year-round residents in the San Joaquin Valley, but when the seasonal wetlands dry up, the birds will disperse to areas with summer water. This bird was photographed at the end of the day at the Merced NWR, courtesy of JFairbanks_photos.

Address

7376 S. Wolfsen Road
Los Banos, CA
93635

Telephone

+12098263508

Website

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/san-luis

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