Waubay National Wildlife Refuge

{{Short description|Wildlife refuge in South Dakota}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Waubay National Wildlife Refuge

| iucn_category = IV

| map = South Dakota#USA

| relief = 1

| map_caption = Map of the United States

| map_width = 300

| photo = Morning Ice (7183560917).jpg

| photo_caption =

| photo_width =

| location = Day County, South Dakota, United States

| nearest_city = Waubay, South Dakota

| coordinates = {{coord|45.42495|-97.34092|region:US-SD|notes={{cite gnis|1258845|Waubay National Wildlife Refuge}}|display=inline, title}}

| area = {{Convert|4650|acre|km2|abbr=on}}

| established = 1935

| visitation_num =

| visitation_year =

| governing_body = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

| website = [https://www.fws.gov/refuge/waubay/ Waubay National Wildlife Refuge]

}}

Waubay National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in South Dakota. "Waubay" means "a place where numbers of birds make their nests" in the Dakota language. The Refuge encompasses {{convert|4650|acre|km2}} of wetlands, native tallgrass prairie, and bur oak forest that provide a wide variety of nesting habitat for more than 100 species of waterfowl, song birds, and upland game birds as well as 140 additional bird species during migrations. Mammals include species from the ever-present white-tailed deer to the more elusive coyote and the diminutive pygmy shrew. The central location of Waubay National Wildlife Refuge in North America gives visitors the chance to see a mix of eastern, western, northern, and southern species.