Wildlife and Protected Species
Refuge management programs are primarily aimed at developing and protecting habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds, including the threatened bald eagle. The refuge is a focal point for waterfowl migrating between their northern breeding grounds and southern wintering areas along the Atlantic Flyway. Large numbers of ducks and geese arrive each fall to spend the winter or to stopover as they head south. Delaware Bay is also the second largest staging area for spring migratory shorebirds in North America. The list of birds recorded at the refuge is very large, with nearly 350 species, including "accidental" migrants. As of 2009, eBird has recorded 302 species of birds in Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
In 1990, federal, state, and private organizations joined together to determine the status of horseshoe crabs. Volunteers surveyed Delaware Bay during peak spawning season in May and June. After 10 years of monitoring the crab, restrictions on harvesting were implemented in 2000.
Read more about this topic: Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
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