ADF&G - Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge

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ADF&G - Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge This page shares updates from Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Follow along as we promote and enhance wildlife habitat — especially for migratory birds — and see how people use the refuge.

The winter lighting at the refuge has been absolutely 🔥 this week. We highly recommend stopping by for sunset at 5:59 pm...
10/23/2026

The winter lighting at the refuge has been absolutely 🔥 this week. We highly recommend stopping by for sunset at 5:59 pm tonight or a sunrise walk at 9:13 am tomorrow to soak in the rose‑colored glow for yourself. Even yesterday’s midday skies were serving some dramatic, moody vibes.

Bonus points if you can spot the sharp‑tailed grouse perched high in the trees in this morning’s pink‑sunrise shot. How many do you count?

Photos ©ADF&G

Just landed: the most delightful waterfowl 🦆 kids’ magazine yet! The new Wild Wonders is bursting with stunning art, fun...
10/22/2026

Just landed: the most delightful waterfowl 🦆 kids’ magazine yet! The new Wild Wonders is bursting with stunning art, fun facts, and kid‑friendly science. Don’t miss page 6—it spotlights how we study ducks and geese, featuring a mallard banded right here at Creamer’s Refuge. Fair warning: it’s so good your kids might start reading it in a snowbank on the way home…

It’s free, it’s beautiful, and you can grab a copy at the Refuge or any ADF&G office. And definitely explore the landing page for this issue… you could teach a whole waterfowl unit from these resources (not that we’re trying to nudge any educators or anything 😜).
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=educators.wildwonders&issue=2026

Photos ©ADF&G

What a difference a few days makes! The top photo shows the refuge at morning light on Friday (Oct 16), and the bottom i...
10/20/2026

What a difference a few days makes! The top photo shows the refuge at morning light on Friday (Oct 16), and the bottom is today (Oct 20) — our first real snow day of the season.

Confirming… yes, it really was a very wet fall! ☔Creamer’s Refuge just wrapped up its wettest year of the past five year...
10/14/2026

Confirming… yes, it really was a very wet fall! ☔

Creamer’s Refuge just wrapped up its wettest year of the past five years. We recorded 16.8 inches of precipitation in 2026, compared to a five‑year average of 14.2 inches. And get this: 5.3 inches fell in just 1.5 months — that’s over 30% of our annual total packed into mid‑August through September!

If you’re wondering why the graph starts on October 1, it’s because precipitation is tracked by the water year. Instead of beginning in January, the water year runs October 1–September 30 so that an entire winter’s snow and rain are counted together. That means we officially wrapped up the 2026 water year last month.

Want to explore Creamer’s precipitation data for yourself? The USDA manages our on‑site weather station right here at the refuge. https://nwcc-apps.sc.egov.usda.gov/awdb/site-plots/POR/PREC/AK/Creamers%20Field.html
Photos ©ADF&G

Here’s the quick tale of one Creamer’s goose and a tiny tracker. Previously banded by the ADF&G Waterfowl Program and ou...
10/09/2026

Here’s the quick tale of one Creamer’s goose and a tiny tracker. Previously banded by the ADF&G Waterfowl Program and outfitted with a satellite collar — the goose version of a FitBit — we watched on our computers as this bird cruised around Fairbanks from Sept. 3–8, right in the heart of peak goose season (with more than 1,000 Canada geese on the refuge each day). After a short stop near Eielson, this goose hit the gas. In just two days, it covered roughly 1,000 miles to northeastern British Columbia, where it’s been staging near Kiskatinaw Provincial Park for over a month. This goose is crushing its migration goals. Based on past tracking, Creamer’s geese typically continue on to Oregon and Washington for the winter, and we expect this goose may do the same.

Photos by Grace Nelson

10/09/2026

We spotted a group of 11 Sharp‑tailed Grouse this morning on the refuge! Turn up the sound to hear their vocalizations as they socialize with one another. In early fall, Sharp‑tailed Grouse family groups—called coveys—often merge with other broods, forming larger mixed flocks as they move between feeding areas. These multi‑family groups can range from 10–15 birds and grow even larger as winter progresses. This flocking behavior helps them spot predators and locate patchy fall food sources.

Video ©ADF&G, captured by Heather McFarland

Did you know that ruffed and sharp‑tailed grouse—both year‑round residents of Creamer’s Refuge—grow their own snowshoes ...
10/06/2026

Did you know that ruffed and sharp‑tailed grouse—both year‑round residents of Creamer’s Refuge—grow their own snowshoes each fall? Around this time of year, they start developing tiny comb‑like fringes along their toes called pectinations. These keratin structures extend from their toe scales and increase the surface area of their feet, helping them stay on top of snow. They also give the birds extra grip on icy branches while they feed and roost through the winter. When spring arrives and the snow melts, their natural “snowshoes” fall off.

The first sparkles of snow are beginning to replace the fall colors on the refuge, and most of our birds have already mo...
10/01/2026

The first sparkles of snow are beginning to replace the fall colors on the refuge, and most of our birds have already moved on. In fact, more than 80% of the species you might have spotted this summer have now headed south for the winter. That leaves just 27 hardy species to spend the season with us!

These tough year‑round residents have amazing adaptations that help them survive the deep cold, and we’ll be sharing more about them as winter settles in—plus a few ducks or summer visitors whenever we’re feeling nostalgic for warmer days.

It’s the final week of fall field trips at the refuge! Together with the Alaska Songbird Institute, we’ve welcomed 40 cl...
09/23/2026

It’s the final week of fall field trips at the refuge! Together with the Alaska Songbird Institute, we’ve welcomed 40 classes and about 975 students from local schools and education programs. These tough Fairbanks kids have braved a plethora of cold, rainy days to explore the refuge and get an up‑close look at waterfowl and songbirds. Did your class visit the refuge this fall? What’s one thing you learned on a field trip?

09/18/2026

Many hands make light work… allegedly. Watch 11 humans attempt to tame a 1‑ton, 13,000‑square‑foot pond liner at Creamer’s Refuge. We’re pretty sure the waterfowl would’ve judged our technique, but by next spring they’ll be loving this prime duck real estate. After this battle, we’re basically qualified for the halftime pit crew.

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1300 College Road
Fairbanks, AK
99701

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