Bamforth National Wildlife Refuge

The wetland complexes of Bamforth National Wildlife Refuge provide important water resources that support resting, nesting and foraging areas for migratory birds in the semiarid environment of the Laramie Plains basin. The three Laramie Plains refuges, Bamforth, Hutton Lake and Mortenson Lake are designated as Important Bird Areas by Wyoming Audubon. The two main habitats on Bamforth National Wildlife Refuge are greasewood/grassland upland and alkali flats. There are also small ponds and Bamforth Lake that provide some marsh and wetland areas. A variety of migratory birds use the refuge wetlands, including American white pelicans, California gulls, double-crested cormorants, black-crowned night herons, American avocets, and snowy egrets. Many songbirds spend time in the greasewood/grassland areas, including western meadowlarks, vesper sparrows, horned larks, brown-headed cowbirds, and Brewer's sparrows.