Endangered whooping cranes have been detected on Kirwin NWR. While the birds are utilizing the refuge as a stopover site on their migration to their wintering grounds in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, Kirwin NWR will be closed to firearm hunting out of an abundance of caution for a species with less than 700 individuals in the wild. Updates to this temporary closure will be posted here and on the Refuge Facebook . We appreciate your patience and cooperation. Thank you.
Visit Us
Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to see prairie wildlife and wildflowers. Early morning or just before sunset are the best times to observe wildlife. Enjoy walking, hiking, fishing, hunting, bicycling, and/or driving the Refuge.
Location and Contact Information
About Us
Along the seam, where the tall and short grasses of the rolling prairie embrace and dance in the Kansas wind, two valleys join and beckon abundant wildlife and visitors alike. Visitors to the refuge will find themselves charmed by the melody of the meadowlark, captivated by the expansive vistas from limestone outcrops, and delighted by the bountiful resources of its land and waters. Wildlife-dependent recreation amid the solitude of the Refuge, provide present and future generations with an experience to remember for a lifetime.
What We Do
The purpose of the Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge is the conservation, maintenance, and management of wildlife resources and habitat with an emphasis on migratory birds.
Our Species
The Refuge provides food, shelter, and nesting areas for migratory grassland and tree-dwelling birds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and cranes. These include sandhill and the endangered whooping cranes, Canada geese, northern pintail, American wigeon, mallards, greater prairie chickens, western meadowlarks, great blue herons, and many more. Many mammals like the black-tailed prairie dog and white-tailed deer can also be seen on Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge.
