Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana

Bayou Cocodrie NWR, Ferriday, Louisiana: In the spring, bald cypress stands such as this one at Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge are noisy with woodstork, heron, and egret rookeries. Waterfowl such as pintails, mallards, teal, and shovelers stop at the refuge to rest and feed during migration. And colorful wood ducks are year-round residents. In fact, one of the reasons Bayou Cocodrie was established in 1992 was to provide habitat for wood ducks. Other wetland-dependent species found here include alligators, beavers, ospreys, and swallow-tailed kites. Peregrine falcons and bald eagles winter here. The forested areas of the refuge provide a corridor for endangered Louisiana black bears traveling between Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge to the north and Red River Wildlife Management Area. Hunting and fishing are popular activities at the refuge, as are hiking, boating, wildlife observation and photography. Use of all-terrain vehicles is also permitted on the refuge.