Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge is located in the foothills of the southwestern San Joaquin Valley
in Kern County, California
. The refuge is one of four units of the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
for California condor
s.
Today, the reintroduced condors feed and roost on the refuge. The refuge is an integral part of the Service's condor monitoring activities. The most notable physical features of the refuge are the San Andreas Fault
, which bisects the refuge, and the dramatic Bitter Creek Canyon.
, oak woodland
, chaparral
, pinion pine/juniper/oak woodland, and riparian and wetland
habitat for Federally-listed endangered San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, giant kangaroo rat
, and species of Federal concern such as western spade foot toad, western horned lizard, and tri-colored blackbird.
Other terrestrial species on the refuge include coyote
, bobcat
, mountain lion, mule deer
, pronghorn antelope, tule elk
, and western rattlesnake
. A total of 119 bird species have been recorded on the refuge including 90 migratory species.
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
in Kern County, California
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
. The refuge is one of four units of the Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a National Wildlife Refuge complex in the state of California.-Refuges within the complex:* Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge* Blue Ridge National Wildlife Refuge...
for California condor
California Condor
The California Condor is a New World vulture, the largest North American land bird. Currently, this condor inhabits only the Grand Canyon area, Zion National Park, and coastal mountains of central and southern California and northern Baja California...
s.
California condors
Elevations on the Refuge range from 1,600 to 4680 feet (1,426.5 m). Purchased to protect dwindling California condor foraging and roosting habitat in 1985, the 14097 acres (57 km²) refuge is the site where the last wild female condor was trapped in 1986.Today, the reintroduced condors feed and roost on the refuge. The refuge is an integral part of the Service's condor monitoring activities. The most notable physical features of the refuge are the San Andreas Fault
San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental strike-slip fault that runs a length of roughly through California in the United States. The fault's motion is right-lateral strike-slip...
, which bisects the refuge, and the dramatic Bitter Creek Canyon.
Other species
In addition to the California condor, the Bitter Creek Refuge provides grasslandGrassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, oak woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
, pinion pine/juniper/oak woodland, and riparian and wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
habitat for Federally-listed endangered San Joaquin kit fox, blunt-nosed leopard lizard, giant kangaroo rat
Giant Kangaroo Rat
The Giant Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ingens, is an endangered rodent species endemic to California.-Description:Dipodomys ingens, the Giant Kangaroo Rat, is one of over 20 species of kangaroo rats, which are small members of the rodent family...
, and species of Federal concern such as western spade foot toad, western horned lizard, and tri-colored blackbird.
Other terrestrial species on the refuge include coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
, mountain lion, mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, pronghorn antelope, tule elk
Tule Elk
The tule elk is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast. The subspecies name derives from the tule that it feeds off of, which grows in the marshlands...
, and western rattlesnake
Western rattlesnake
Western rattlesnake* Crotalus oreganus, a venomous pitviper species found in North America in the western United States, parts of British Columbia and northwestern Mexico....
. A total of 119 bird species have been recorded on the refuge including 90 migratory species.