Black Gap Wildlife Management Area

This 106,000-acre state-managed refuge was purchased from 1947 to 1969 to provide a large area where long-term wildlife research and range management practices could be conducted. The refuge is bounded on the south for 25 miles by the Rio Grande; the landscape there is dominated by impressive canyons and narrow, green floodplains. Although the management area contains no live creeks or springs, tinajas (natural pockets that hold water) and numerous manmade stock tanks and guzzlers (above-ground watering tanks) occur throughout. Some of these provide excellent birding sites. Contact refuge headquarters for scheduled birding events. Key Birds: "Mexican Duck” (Mallard); Peregrine Falcon; Scaled and Gambel’s Quail; Greater Roadrunner; Common Raven; Cactus Wren; Black-tailed Gnatcatcher; Curve-billed and Crissal Thrashers; Gray Vireo; Phainopepla; Pyrrhuloxia; Rufous-crowned, Black-throated, and Black-chinned Sparrows; and Lesser Goldfinch are present yearround. Swainson’s and Zone-tailed Hawks; Elf Owl; Lesser and Common Nighthawks; Lucifer Hummingbird; Cassin’s and Western Kingbirds; Bell’s Vireo; Varied and Painted Buntings; Bronzed Cowbird; and Orchard, Hooded, Bullock’s, and Scott’s Orioles occur in summer. Osprey; Golden Eagle; Prairie Falcon; Sage Thrasher; and Clay-colored, Brewer’s, and Baird’s (irregular) Sparrows can usually be found in winter. This eTrail provides detailed information on birding strategies for this specific location, the specialty birds and other key birds you might see, directions to each birding spot, a detailed map, and helpful general information.