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Saylorville Reservoir
State IBA
Polk County
Directions:
Saylorville Reservoir is located on the Des Moines River about 4 miles north of Interstate 80/35 north of Des Moines. Land on both sides of the reservoir is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and includes several access points on both sides of the lake. County owned Jester Park on the west shore of the northern part of the reservoir also offers good access to some important birding areas. Big Creek State Park and adjacent state wildlife areas provide important upland habitat.
Description:
Saylorville Reservoir is an extremely important stopover area for migrating waterfowl, gulls, terns, American White Pelicans, shorebirds, and other waterbirds. It supports nationally important concentrations of several species as well as smaller concentrations of many other species. The adjacent uplands support a variety of woodland species, both during the nesting season and in migration.
Criteria for this site
Rare or unique habitat
Significant species concentrations
Habitats found in this site
Wetland
Woodland
Riparian
Ownership
County
State
Federal
See the Criteria Species Data for this Site
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Birds of Iowa
American Bittern
© Doug Harr
Tree Swallow
© Doug Harr
Merlin
© Doug Harr
House Wren
© Doug Harr
Red-bellied Woodpecker
© Doug Harr
Northern Cardinal
© Doug Harr
Ring-necked Pheasant
© Doug Harr
Lark Sparrow
© Doug Harr
Red-eyed Vireo
© Doug Harr
Blue-winged Teal
© Doug Harr
Dickcissel
© Doug Harr
American Redstart
© Doug Harr
Winter Wren
© Doug Harr
Cedar Waxwing
© Doug Harr
Broad-winged Hawk
© Doug Harr
Northern Shoveler
© Doug Harr
Eastern Towhee
© Doug Harr
Ring-billed Gull
© Doug Harr
American White Pelican
© Doug Harr
Fox Sparrow
© Doug Harr
Trumpeter Swan
© Doug Harr
Lesser Yellowlegs
© Doug Harr
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
© Doug Harr
Lesser Scaup
© Doug Harr
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
© Doug Harr
Pied-billed Grebe
© Doug Harr
Common Gallinule
© Doug Harr
American Goldfinch
© Doug Harr
Scarlet Tanager
© Doug Harr
Eastern Bluebird
© Doug Harr
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
© Doug Harr
Gray Partridge
© Doug Harr
Common Nighthawk
© Doug Harr
Sora
© Doug Harr
Hermit Thrush
© Doug Harr
Pine Siskin
© Doug Harr
Mississippi Kite
© Doug Harr
Yellow-breasted Chat
© Doug Harr
Turkey Vulture
© Doug Harr
Belted Kingfisher
© Doug Harr
Eastern Wood-Pewee
© Doug Harr
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
© Doug Harr
Barred Owl
© Doug Harr
Western Meadowlark
© Doug Harr
Yellow-headed Blackbird
© Doug Harr
White-breasted Nuthatch
© Doug Harr
Mourning Dove
© Doug Harr
Song Sparrow
© Doug Harr
Blue Jay
© Doug Harr
Black-billed Magpie
© Doug Harr
Pine Warbler
© Doug Harr
Yellow Warbler
© Doug Harr
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
© Doug Harr
Downy Woodpecker
© Doug Harr
Tufted Titmouse
© Doug Harr
Indigo Bunting
© Doug Harr
Least Sandpiper
© Doug Harr
Great Blue Heron
© Doug Harr
Common Yellowthroat
© Doug Harr
Eastern Kingbird
© Doug Harr
Northern Pintail
© Doug Harr
Prairie Warbler
© Doug Harr
House Finch
© Doug Harr
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Photos: Carl Kurtz, Larry Dau, Doug Harr
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