Maxwell NWR

Tips for Birding

When submitting eBird observations at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge, it is most helpful to start a new checklist for each hotspot within the refuge. Use the general hotspot when you have a checklist that includes multiple locations or if no other hotspot or personal location is appropriate for your sightings.

One of the more efficient ways to bird the hotspots of Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge is to come up Lake 13 Road, check out Lake 12 (you might get lucky, and there actually be water there), turn east on CR A-2 to get to the Woodlot, continue west to CR A-4 (also known as Highline Road) where you turn north to the North Lake 14 Viewing Area, after which you would keep going north to Laguna Madre Road (CR A-1), taking that west to the North Lake 13 Viewing Area, go a bit further west on A-1 until it meets Lake 13 Road, taking that south to the turnoff west into the Lake 13 campground and circle around the south of the lake. There’s a nice turn-around at the east end of the lake dam, so you then retrace your route to Lake 13 Road, turn south, and stop at the Headquarters and Visitor Center compound. Before hitting the Headquarters, you can make a side trip to view Burrowing Owl in the prairie dog colony off CR A-2 north of Lake 12, an area not visible from the Lake 12 viewing area of Lake 13 Road. More efficient doesn’t mean the route described incorporates your priority species at spots you want to observe, say, earliest in the day or latest in the evening. But if going early in the morning, this route does put you at the Woodlot with a better chance of Great Horned Owl. In summer, it also has the advantage of placing you at the Lake 14 Viewing Area when it’s cooler, as there’s no shade on the hike from the parking lot. Finally, you’re definitely not going to find the Visitor Center (where there’s drinking water and flush toilets) open before 8 am.   

Birds of Interest

Large numbers of waterfowl migrate through the refuge and depending on water conditions (ice) may winter at the refuge. Often 100+ shorebirds can be found on any one day. This is an important and reliable site for Prairie Falcon, Willow Flycatcher, Dickcissel, Savannah, Grasshopper, and Cassin’s Sparrow. Long-billed Curlew breeds in surrounding grassland. The state’s largest known population of Eastern Kingbirds breeds in this area. Burrowing Owls can be found in the prairie dog colonies. This can be an important area for wintering and migrating raptors, though no season-long monitoring has taken place.

About Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge

See all hotspots at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge

The Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge presents visitors with a unique wildlife viewing experience. Visitors are treated to year-round views of hawks, owls, eagles, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, mule deer, and black-tailed prairie dogs.

Located in northeastern New Mexico at an elevation of 6050 feet, Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 3,699 acres of short-grass prairie, playa lakes, woodlots, wetlands, and crop fields. The refuge sits in an open basin surrounded by high mesas to the northeast and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west. Since 1965 this landscape has been managed for the benefit of wildlife and has provided a feeding and resting habitat for migratory birds.

Birders and wildlife watchers can challenge themselves by attempting to check off all 289 species of birds found on the refuge. American kestrels, wild turkeys, and Wilson’s phalaropes are a few of the common species you will enjoy seeing at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge.

Mid-October on the refuge is generally the peak fall migration of sandhill cranes, geese, and ducks. However, any time of year you are likely to see a diversity of wildlife. Wildlife watching is generally best during the morning and at dusk when wildlife is most active.

Rangeland on the refuge is rolling prairie and reclaimed farmland containing a variety of grasses including blue grama, galleta, sand dropseed, threeawn, and buffalo grass, as well as fourwing saltbush and cactus. Lakes on the refuge provide 700 acres of waterfowl roosting and feeding habitat. Wet years bring dense shoreline vegetation, while the lakes may disappear in dry years.

The refuge lakes and associated Stubblefield Lake are primarily for water storage for irrigation purposes for surrounding ranches and are managed by the local water manager. The refuge owns the surrounding grassland but not the water making water management impossible. Stubblefield Lake is privately owned. Fishing is allowed in some areas of the refuge.

From Raton, take I-25 south to Maxwell, go north on NM-445  for 0.8 miles, and west on NM-505 for approximately 2.5 miles. Turn north at the entrance sign (1.5 miles to headquarters).

The vault toilets by the parking area for Lake 13 are seasonally open and maintained. There are flush toilets in the Visitor Center (headquarters building), but that building is open on an extremely limited basis.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Roadside viewing

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge Official Website and John Montgomery

Last updated September 21, 2023