Patuxent Research Refuge – North Tract

Patuxent Research Refuge – North Tract

230 Bald Eagle Drive, Laurel, Maryland 20724
(301) 497-5770

NOTE: Effective 10/23/23, North Tract will be open to the public only on Sundays, because of staff shortages. For details see the Refuge’s announcement.

North Tract is one of the special birding gems of Anne Arundel County and of Maryland as a whole. It is part of the Patuxent Research Refuge, a facility of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Established in 1936 by executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Patuxent Research Refuge is the nation’s only national wildlife refuge established to support wildlife research. Containing 12,841 acres, Patuxent Research Refuge is a unique oasis of natural habitat in the middle of the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The late Senator Paul Sarbanes referred to Patuxent as the “green lungs” of the region.

North Tract is one of three tracts at Patuxent Research Refuge: the other two are South Tract in Prince George’s County and Central Tract, which has portions in both Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties. Both North and South Tracts are open to the public, but Central Tract has no public access. (Birds that you see reported on eBird from within Central Tract have usually been observed by employees.) Note that there is no direct connector between North and South Tracts – one has to drive on public roads to go between the two areas.

Central Tract houses the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (formerly known as the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center) and is where most of the Refuge’s research takes place. The Eastern Ecological Science Center’s purpose is to conduct research to form the biological foundation for effective conservation and management of the country’s biological resources. Two of the notable programs within the Science Center are the Bird Banding Laboratory and the North American Breeding Bird Survey. The wildlife and habitat research being conducted by the Eastern Ecological Science Center goes well beyond birds: read more about the science programs. Fish and Wildlife biologists also conduct research and projects on habitat management and species conservation at the Refuge.

The 8,126 acres of land at North Tract were mostly acquired from the U.S. Army’s Fort Meade in 1991 and 1992, with a few smaller acquisitions from private landowners. North Tract contains upland hardwood forests and upland meadows, riparian habitat near the Patuxent and Little Patuxent Rivers, and constructed wetlands.

Eight miles of paved roads make up the drive-able Wildlife Loop that winds through North Tract. The Wildlife Viewing Area at Merganser Pond on the Wildlife Loop provides visitors the opportunity to see waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds. Several natural-surface hiking and biking trails enable birders to explore in-depth the varied habitats of North Tract (see trail map map at the link in the orange box in the “At a Glance” section of this webpage.). An extensive power line cut, visible from the Wildlife Loop Drive, contains excellent scrub-shrub early successional habitat. Be sure to stay on marked trails and roadways at all times.

There are pollinator gardens at the Visitor Contact Station and at the Merganser Pond Wildlife Viewing Area. There are also bird feeders and hummingbird feeders at the Visitor Contact Station, near the building’s east side and behind the pollinator garden across the road from the building.

Sign-in at the Visitor Contact Station is required upon arrival, and it is also necessary to sign-out when you are ready to leave. There is a good reason for the sign-in and sign-out requirement and the insistence to stay on the marked trails and roadways: parts of North Tract were used for munitions testing in the years when it was owned by the Army, and although care has been taken to clear ammunition and explosives from the Refuge, there is always the possibility that some undiscovered munitions still lie buried or under leaves on the ground. This is not the place to go exploring off-trail.

Conservation Notes:

The establishment of Patuxent Research Refuge is a significant landmark in the history of wildlife conservation. Some of the world’s most important research related to conservation of birds and other species has been carried out at Patuxent, with wide-reaching effects throughout the country and the world. Some of the better-known projects have included:

• Research on the bioaccumulation of DDT and its effects on egg-shell thinning in birds, which caused severe population declines in top-level predators such as Bald Eagle and Osprey; the Patuxent research inspired Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, and led to a restriction on the use of DDT, with the ultimate recovery of both Ospreys and Bald Eagles.
• Chandler Robbins and his colleagues published a series of papers documenting the effects of forest fragmentation on breeding success of Forest Interior Dwelling Species. This work is reflected in the layout of the Refuge itself: the entrance drive on South Tract is purposely divided into two narrow one-way routes, separated by a wide forested island, in order to retain unbroken forest canopy over the paved roads.
• Advances in the science of bird banding and later recapture. The most notable example of this research is the Laysan Albatross named Wisdom, banded by Chandler Robbins himself on Midway Island in 1956. As of this writing (fall 2024), Wisdom is still alive and is widely considered to be the world’s oldest living documented bird. Her bi-annual egg-laying usually merits widespread media coverage. But Wisdom is just one example of the millions of birds that have been banded through the USGS Bird Landing Laboratory’s programs, which have been instrumental in establishing an understanding of bird populations and migrations.
• Patuxent is indelibly linked to its role in captive breeding of endangered species in order to restore them to the wild. This work is exemplified by Patuxent’s Whooping Crane breeding program, from 1967 until 2018. This short article on the USGS website was written in 2018, before the program came to an end later that year, when the Patuxent birds were dispersed to other facilities.
• The North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Breeding Bird Atlas are other ongoing projects that arose from the work of Chandler Robbins and others at Patuxent.

Birdlife: 

A printable checklist compiled by the Friends of Patuxent includes 282 species. Over 270 species have been reported on eBird for the Refuge as a whole. There are eight eBird hotspots at the Refuge, and six of these are on North Tract:

• Patuxent Research Refuge–North Tract (overall) – 226+ species
• Patuxent Research Refuge–North Tract–Lake Allen – 157+ species
• Patuxent Research Refuge–North Tract–New Marsh/Cattail Pond – 137+ species
• Patuxent Research Refuge–North Tract–Pine Trail – 123+ species
• Patuxent Research Refuge–North Tract, Power Line section – 136+ species
• Patuxent Research Refuge–North Tract–Wildlife Viewing Area/Merganser Pond – 180+ species

North Tract has become famous for hosting a pair (and occasionally more) of Trumpeter Swans that started showing up in 2018 at Merganser Pond. They have been present almost year-round since then and there is expected that they may eventually breed. In recent years, Red-headed Woodpeckers have been documented breeding near the power line cut.

• Winter:  Ring-necked Duck, Hooded Merganser, Winter Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Dark-eyed Junco
• Spring: Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, American Coot, American Woodcock, Veery, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Palm Warbler, Prairie Warbler
• Summer: Wild Turkey, Green Heron, Osprey, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Whip-poor-will, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole
• Fall: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Year-round: Canada Goose, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Killdeer, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Eastern Towhee, American Goldfinch

• Gravel lot at the Visitor Contact Station and at designated points along the Wildlife Loop and at Lake Allen.
• Directions:
• From Washington, DC: Take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD Route 295) north and exit on to MD Route 198 East toward Fort Meade. Travel almost 2 miles. Then turn right on to Bald Eagle Drive (at the ball fields), drive past the Refuge’s Hunter Contact Station on the right, and continue to the North Tract Visitor Contact Station on the left. It is about 1 mile from Route 198 to the Visitor Contact Station.
• From Baltimore: Take Baltimore/Washington Parkway (MD Route 295) South and take the MD Route 198 exit toward Fort Meade/Laurel. Then turn left on to Route 198 heading East and travel about 2 miles. Then turn right on to Bald Eagle Drive (at the ball fields), drive past the Refuge’s Hunter Contact Station on the right, and continue to the North Tract Visitor Contact Station on the left. It is about 1 mile from Route 198 to the Visitor Contact Station.
• From Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge: From MD Route 50 west of Annapolis, take Interstate Route 97 North. Then take MD Route 32 West (toward Columbia) for about 8 miles. Then take the MD Route 198 exit toward Laurel/Ft. Meade. Travel around the circle following the signs to Odenton/Laurel to MD Route 198 West. In less than 1 mile turn left on to Bald Eagle Drive (at the ball fields), drive past the Refuge’s Hunter Contact Station on the right, and continue to the North Tract Visitor Contact Station on the left. It is about 1 mile from Route 198 to the Visitor Contact Station.

Nearby Sites:

Anne Arundel County: Davidsonville Park ◾ Downs Memorial Park ◾ Fort Smallwood Park ◾ Greenbury Point◾ Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary ◾ Kinder Farm Park ◾ Lake Waterford Park ◾ Mandares Creek MOS Sanctuary ◾ Oxbow Natural Area ◾ Patuxent Research Refuge – North Tract ◾ Piney Orchard Nature Preserve◾ Quiet Waters Park ◾ Sandy Point State Park ◾ Smithsonian Environmental Research Center ◾ Swan Creek Wetlands | Cox Creek Dredged Material Containment Facility

Prince George’s County: Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (restricted access) ◾ Fran Uhler Natural Area ◾ Governor Bridge Natural Area ◾ Greenbelt (National) Park ◾ Greenbelt Lake Municipal Park (Buddy Attick Lake Park) ◾ Lake Artemesia Natural Area ◾Patuxent Research Refuge – South Tract (National Wildlife Visitor Center) ◾ Rosaryville State Park ◾ Schoolhouse Pond

Habitats:

Bottomland Deciduous ForestsConifersHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Hay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby Meadows Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirMud Flats (Tidal or Non-Tidal)Rivers & Streams

Features:

BeginnersBicycle Trails (Bikes may be prohibited on some trails)Bird Feeding StationBirding By CarFishingFree - No Entry Fee at Any TimeHabitat Restoration ProjectHiking/Walking TrailsHuntingNative Plant Garden or Meadow/Pollinator PlantsNature Education ProgramsObservation Platform or TowerParkingPets AllowedPicnic AreaRestroomsWater ViewWheelchair Accessible FeaturesYoung People / Families

Type:

Audubon Important Bird AreasDriving Tour (Roadside Birding)Hiker-Biker Trails (Paved)National Wildlife RefugesNature CentersThe Rivers of the Western Shore