Although generally hosting only small numbers of birds, the reservoir has attracted a considerable number of North American vagrant shorebirds and wildfowl, including a number of Lesser Scaup.
The nutrient-rich cold waters found in the basin are known to be especially favorable to phytoplankton and the numerous islands within it are important bird habitats, including Sabine's Gulls and many types of shorebirds.
Shorebirds and Passerines are two of the most speciose groups of birds that rely heavily on the presence of surface swarming Arthropods.
More common shorebird species include Western and Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Red Phalarope, Whimbrel, Dunlin.
The refuge's objectives are to provide nesting, resting, and wintering habitat for migratory birds, including the greater snow geese and other migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors, and neotropical migrants, as well as habitat and protection for endangered and threatened species.
A site in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, an internationally acclaimed shorebird conservation strategy, is at the village of Chaplin approximately equal distance between Swift Current and Moose Jaw.