Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge Location in New York Show map of New York Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Suffolk County, New York, United States
Nearest city	Noyack, New York
Area	187 acres (76 ha)
Established	1954
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge

The Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge is a 187-acre (76 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in Noyack, New York. Much of the refuge is situated on a peninsula surrounded by Noyack and Little Peconic bays. The refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

The refuge was established December 27, 1954, through a donation by Elizabeth Alexandra Morton. It encompasses diverse habitats including bay beach, a brackish pond, a freshwater pond, kettle holes, tidal flats, salt marsh, freshwater marsh, shrub, grasslands, maritime oak forest, and red cedar. The refuge's diversity is critical to Long Island wildlife.

The north/south orientation of the refuge's peninsula creates important habitat for shorebirds, raptors and songbirds as they navigate the coastline during migration. Habitats along the beach attract nesting piping plovers, roseate terns, least terns, common terns, and shorebirds. The waters surrounding the refuge are considered critical habitat for juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles and are occasionally used by loggerhead sea turtles. Waterfowl use of the refuge peaks during the colder months. Long-tailed ducks, white-winged scoter, goldeneye and black ducks will most likely be spotted during winter.