Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge

The 24,149 acre Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge was established for the protection of migratory birds and other wildlife. It is located in Iowa and Illinois along the Mississippi River Flyway, one of the major routes for migrating waterfowl. Each year in the spring and fall hundreds, if not thousands, of geese and ducks utilize the refuge to rest and refuel on their migration. Common species include Canada geese, mallards, trumpeter swans, wood ducks, blue and green-winged teals, northern shovelers, hooded mergansers and other waterfowl. The river floodplains are important sites not only for migrating birds but year-round residents as well.