Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge is located on the southwestern side of Puerto Rico
in the municipio
of Cabo Rojo
. It was established in 1974, when 587 acres of land were obtained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from the Central Intelligence Agency
which had operated the Caribbean Bureau of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service
there for a number of years. The 1836 acres (7.4 km²) refuge is an habitat for number of native bird species including the endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird
also known as La Mariquita de Puerto Rico or Capitán. Many birds find their way to the refuge while migrating between North and South America.
In 1999, the National Wildlife system purchased and added to the refuge the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats, an historic salt mining enterprise located near the Los Morrillos Lighthouse
. Caborrojeños Pro Salud y Ambiente
, a local civic group, runs a visitor's center in the salt flats. More than 118 bird species have been recorded near the area.
The Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge
is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex
.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in the municipio
Municipalities of Puerto Rico
The Municipalities of Puerto Rico number 78 and they make up the smallest electoral division of the Commonwealth. Each municipality is divided into barrios, though the latter are not vested with political authority.-Administrative divisions:...
of Cabo Rojo
Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Cabo Rojo is a municipality situated on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico and forms part of the San Germán–Cabo Rojo metropolitan area as well as the larger Mayagüez–San Germán–Cabo Rojo Combined Statistical Area....
. It was established in 1974, when 587 acres of land were obtained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
which had operated the Caribbean Bureau of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Foreign Broadcast Information Service was an open source intelligence component of the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Science and Technology. It monitored, translated, and disseminated within the U.S. government openly available news and information from media sources outside the...
there for a number of years. The 1836 acres (7.4 km²) refuge is an habitat for number of native bird species including the endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird
The Yellow-shouldered Blackbird , also known as La Mariquita de Puerto Rico or Capitán, is a diurnal blackbird endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico and one of the eleven species belonging to the Agelaius genus of the Icteridae family.-Taxonomy:The nominate form of the Yellow-shouldered...
also known as La Mariquita de Puerto Rico or Capitán. Many birds find their way to the refuge while migrating between North and South America.
In 1999, the National Wildlife system purchased and added to the refuge the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats, an historic salt mining enterprise located near the Los Morrillos Lighthouse
Los Morrillos Lighthouse
Los Morrillos Light, also known as Faro Los Morrillos de Cabo Rojo, is a historic lighthouse located in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.-History:...
. Caborrojeños Pro Salud y Ambiente
Caborrojeños Pro Salud y Ambiente
Caborrojeños Pro Salud y Ambiente, Inc. is an environmentalist organization based in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico....
, a local civic group, runs a visitor's center in the salt flats. More than 118 bird species have been recorded near the area.
The Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
is administered as part of the Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex
Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex
Caribbean Islands National Wildlife complex is an administrative unit of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service which oversees National Wildlife Refuges in Navassa Island, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.-Puerto Rico:...
.
See also
- List of National Wildlife Refuges
- Boquerón, Puerto RicoBoquerón, Puerto RicoBoquerón is a beach village located in the town of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The village is one of the main tourist attractions in the southwestern part of the island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the barrio population was 4,963....