It will ensure availability of critical habitat to hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year, as these long-distance flyers travel along the New Jersey coast. Cape May National Wildlife Refuge provides critical habitat to a wide variety of migratory birds and other wildlife. Its value for the protection of migratory birds and their habitat will continue to grow as other lands along the Jersey Shore are turned into roads, shopping centers and housing developments. Cape May Peninsula's unique configuration and location concentrate songbirds, raptors and woodcock as they funnel south to Cape May Point during their fall migration. Faced with12 miles of water to cross at the Delaware Bay, migrants linger in the area to rest and feed until favorable winds allow them to cross the Bay or head north along the Bay's eastern shore.
Refuge is open from sunrise to sunset.