Sacramento Wildlife Refuge Webcam – Watch Winter Waterfowl

The Sacramento Wildlife Refuge Webcam looks across the flooded marshes of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, in the northern Sacramento Valley of California, where huge numbers of ducks and geese spend the winter. Shallow pools of open water are divided by low levees, and strips of golden marsh grass run between them toward a line of trees on the horizon. Rafts of ducks drift on the water, crowds of birds stand packed along the edges of the levees, and on a busy morning flocks keep lifting off and settling again across the sky. Green grass and reeds fill the foreground. The camera is run by explore.org with the Friends of Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, and it is at its liveliest from late fall through winter.

About the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began creating the refuge in 1937. It covers 10,819 acres (4,378 hectares) in Glenn and Colusa Counties, near the town of Willows, and belongs to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, a group of six refuges spread over roughly 35,000 acres (140 square kilometers) between 80 and 145 kilometers (50 and 90 miles) north of the city of Sacramento. The complex was set up to ease the conflict between farming in the valley and the enormous numbers of migrating birds that use the Pacific Flyway.

The land on camera is managed wetland: seasonal marshes, permanent ponds and patches of upland. More than 300 species of birds and mammals use the refuges. Northern pintail is the most common duck here in winter, with over 30,000 present in December, and mallards are common too. Snow geese and Ross’s geese arrive in big flocks, and more than 118,000 of them are on the refuge in December of most years. The refuge list also includes white-faced ibis and American white pelican, and black-tailed deer and California ground squirrels live here too.

Numbers build through the fall and usually peak in late November and early December. Later in December the ducks spread out across the flooded fields of the valley while goose numbers reach their high point. Many of them arrive from breeding grounds far to the north, the kind of long seasonal journey traced on our bird migration map.

Weather and Climate in the Sacramento Valley

The refuge sits on the flat valley floor, and the nearby town of Willows lies just 42 meters (138 feet) above sea level. Under the 1991 to 2020 normals for the Willows station, January runs from 4°C (40°F) at night to 15°C (58°F) in the afternoon. April averages 8°C to 24°C (47°F to 75°F), and October 11°C to 28°C (53°F to 82°F).

Summers are hot and dry, with July highs averaging 35°C (95°F) and lows of 17°C (63°F). The area gets about 555 millimeters (21.9 inches) of precipitation a year. The seasons show on camera: the marshes hold the most birds in late fall and winter, while in summer some seasonal wetlands can sit drier and much quieter.

Things to Do Near the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge’s 6-mile (9.7-kilometer) auto tour follows a dirt levee road that loops around the marsh, with three viewing areas along the way. The headquarters and visitor center, off Highway 99W, has a wildlife exhibit, a bookstore and a Discovery Room, and two walking trails start from the same site.

The other refuges in the complex are spread along the same valley. Colusa National Wildlife Refuge has a viewing platform where visitors watch the flocks overhead, and Delevan and Sutter National Wildlife Refuges and the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge, with its oxbow lakes along the river, round out the group.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More bird cameras on the flyways and in California:

• Mississippi River Flyway Webcam
• Big Bear Eagle Nest Webcam
• Matsalu Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge?

It is in Glenn and Colusa Counties in the northern Sacramento Valley of California, near the town of Willows and north of the city of Sacramento.

What can you see on the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge Webcam?

Flooded marsh pools divided by low levees, golden marsh grass, rafts of ducks on the water, birds crowded along the levees and flocks in the air, with trees and the flat valley stretching to the horizon.

When is the best time to see geese at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge?

Waterfowl numbers peak in late November and early December, and goose numbers reach their high point later in December. More than 118,000 snow and Ross’s geese are present in December in most years.

What birds live at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge?

In winter, northern pintail, mallard, snow goose and Ross’s goose are among the most numerous. White-faced ibis and American white pelican are also found here, and more than 300 bird and mammal species use the refuges.

What is the weather like at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge?

Mild winters and hot summers. January averages 4°C to 15°C (40°F to 58°F), while July highs average 35°C (95°F).

Can you drive through the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge?

Yes. A 6-mile (9.7-kilometer) auto tour on a dirt levee road loops around the marsh with three viewing areas, and there are two walking trails at the headquarters.

Who runs the Sacramento Wildlife Refuge Webcam?

The camera is an explore.org stream operated with the Friends of Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge itself is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

How big is the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge?

The refuge covers 10,819 acres (4,378 hectares). The wider complex of six refuges covers about 35,000 acres (140 square kilometers).

Source: explore.org