Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a protected section of the Rio Grande valley in southern New Mexico, established in 1939 and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its name recalls Apache groups that once camped along the river, and the region had earlier been home to the Piro people before the upheavals of the 1600s. Known as one of the Southwest’s premier birdwatching destinations, it supports seasonal wetlands that attract cranes, geese, ducks, shorebirds, and raptors, with more than 400 bird species recorded since 1964. Its floodplain, wetlands, farms, grasslands, and foothills are carefully managed to sustain wildlife and restore habitat.