Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located 7 miles east of Malta, Montana, was established in 1936 to provide habitat for migrating, nesting, and feeding birds. More than 260 species of birds, 26 species of mammals, and a variety of reptiles, amphibians, and fish can be seen at the Refuge. <P>Named after a small railroad siding town, the Refuge includes approximately 6,600 acres of saline (alkali) and freshwater wetlands and 9,000 acres of uplands (much of this native prairie). Lake Bowdoin was once an oxbow of the pre-glacial Missouri River. Today, the river lies approximately 70 miles to the south. <P>The islands of Lake Bowdoin support one of the largest inland nesting colonies of American white pelicans and one of the rare ground rookeries of great blue herons and double-crested cormorants. White-tailed deer and pronghorns abound on the uplands, surrounded by a wide variety of prairie songbirds and other small animals. Many of these wildlife species can be easily seen from the 15-mile auto tour loop. Bowdoin NWR has been deemed an "Internationally Important Bird Area" and a "Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network" site. <P>