Niagara Wildlife

The combination of mild winter weather and open water draws waterfowl to Niagara Springs WMA. Over 5,000 ducks and several hundred Canada geese winter along this portion of the Snake River annually. Spring nesting waterfowl include Canada geese, green-winged and cinnamon teal, mallards and wood ducks.

Upland game bird species using the WMA are the ring-necked pheasant, California quail, chukar and wild turkey. Mule deer utilize windbreaks and woody thickets for cover, and feed among the irrigated fields. While not considered critical mule deer winter range, Niagara Springs WMA does overwinter a modest herd.

Numerous other mammals call Niagara Springs WMA home, including muskrat, mink, beaver, raccoon, skunk, coyote and porcupine. Yellow-bellied marmots patrol the rocky, lava outcrops, while cottontail rabbits nervously feed in alfalfa fields and river otters frolic in the waters of the Snake River. Kangaroo rats can be seen at night, hopping along WMA roads and trails.

While limited numbers of wading birds nest on the WMA, the birds are constantly moving up and down the river in search of food. Large boulders along the east boundary of Niagara Springs WMA serve as roosting sites for great blue herons. Look for these whitewash-crowned boulders and their roosting companions during your visit.

Despite its limited size, Niagara Springs WMA sports its share of raptor species. Golden eagles, prairie falcons, American kestrels, red-tailed hawks and northern harriers all nest on WMA lands, and osprey and bald eagles are occasionally seen patrolling the Snake River in the fall, winter and spring months.

A variety of songbirds also inhabits the WMA. Rangeland habitats are occupied by horned larks, white-crowned sparrows and sage thrashers. Warblers and buntings inhabit the windbreaks, while wrens and swallows stake their claim to the rock ledges and talus slopes of the canyon rim.

Reptiles and amphibians found on WMA lands include gopher snakes, racers, side-blotched lizards, Great Basin spadefoot toads, bull frogs and Pacific treefrogs. The waters of the Snake River are home to rainbow and brown trout, channel catfish and white sturgeon. Niagara Springs WMA ponds and the Thompson/Mays Canal also contain wild rainbow trout.