Features
Burrowing Owls
Looking for all the world like a child's cute stuffed toy, burrowing owls are beloved residents of the shrub-steppe.
Burrowing Owls
Badgers
Tough, grizzled, occasionally grouchy, the badger is the curmudgeon next door—gruff but a good guy with an interesting life story to tell.
Badgers
Mule Deer Photo Gallery
You'll see a lot of mule deer here. There's a good reason for that—Umatilla has one of the most impressive mule deer herds found anywhere.
Mule Deer Photo Gallery
Watching Wildlife
Want to see more animals on your trip to Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge? Here are some tips from the "experts."
Watching WildlifeAbout the Complex
The Mid-Columbia River Refuges are eight refuges within the Columbia Basin.
Umatilla is managed as part of the Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Learn more about the complex About the NWRS
The National Wildlife Refuge System, within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, manages a national network of lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants.
Learn more about the NWRS
Of Special Interest
Each season at Umatilla NWR brings its own sounds. But while many of the sounds of spring, summer and fall are man-made, winter is all about nature. Winter is when people disappear, but waterfowl arrive. First, there are a few ducks in October, then a few more each week. Then without fanfare, the geese are there—first the Canada geese, then the snow geese, arriving by the dozens, then the hundreds, then the thousands. Add a few dozen migrating tundra swans and the bald eagles talked about elsewhere on this site, and you've got one of the best birdwatching opportunities in the Northwest. Come on a non-hunt day (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays), and there's a good chance you'll have the refuge to yourself.
Seasons of Wildlife
March 15, 2017The deadline for submitting entries for the 2017 Jr. Duck Stamp contest is rapidly approaching. Are you a student in K-12? Do you have artistic talent? Care about wildlife? Looking for fame and fortune? Then you should at least take a look at entering the 2017 contest. And we would love to see winners selected from this area, painting the ducks found here. So, check this out.
2017 Jr. Duck Stamp Contest
Majestic. Regal. Striking. Beautiful. Graceful. Fearsome. All words used to describe the symbol of America, the bald eagle. While the truth sometimes paints a different picture, unless you live in Alaska, there's little doubt that the mere sighting of an eagle invokes some of these images. Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge is fortunate to host several eagles each winter, and their return is always eagerly anticipated.
Learn more
Page Photo Credits — Mule Deer At Sunset - Chuck & Grace Bartlett, Burrowing Owl - Jane Abel, Badger - James Perdue, Mule Deer Buck - Chuck and Grace Bartlett, Pale Evening Primrose - Mark Turner
Last Updated: Jan 05, 2017