Wildlife Habitats

There is more to forests than just trees. Forests provide a home, a nursery to raise young, and a dinner table for many species of wildlife. But there are some wildlife species we at DEP have been entrusted to protect that are struggling to survive—those classified as rare, endangered, and of special concern. So we're working to bring back these species—it would be irresponsible for us to ignore this serious decline.

To improve wildlife habitats at Sparta Mountain WMA, we will

  • Foster old growth forests
    for the northern goshawk (endangered), barred owl (threatened), cerulean warbler (special concern) and others that rely on old growth forests in Sparta Mountain WMA
  • Create young forests
    for enhanced foraging, nesting, and roosting habitat for birds and many other wildlife species
  • Retain trees with cavities and exfoliating bark
    for bird and bat species
  • Add basking habitat
    in the wetlands for turtles

 

Forests for the Birds

While trees can be planted and grow where you placed them, many songbirds will look and look for just the right spot to nest. They search for a place that has enough food for nestling birds as well as enough food and cover once they fledge. When these birds don't find these requirements, they either don’t nest or they try and there’s no new generation. If there’s no new generation, numbers decline—just as they have for the past 20 years. Research shows that one of the primary causes of decline for species such as golden-winged warblers, blue-winged warblers, wood thrush, and prairie warblers is related to habitat on the breeding grounds.

Over 30 bird species benefit from young forests such as:

  • American goldfinch (New Jersey state bird)
  • Blue-winged warbler
  • Indigo bunting
  • Wood thrush
  • Chestnut-sided Warbler
  • Prairie Warbler
  • Eastern towhee

Across Sparta Mountain WMA you will find common species such as white-tailed deer, black bear, eastern wild turkey, gray squirrel, chipmunk, coyote, red fox, beaver, several types of turtles and snakes, bats, and a variety of song birds. In addition, many not so common species also rely on the forest here. We manage the forest to improve habitat for all these species.

Sparta Mountain WMA

Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Wildlife

Common Name

Scientific Name

State Status

Federal Status

Arrowhead Spiketail

Cordulegaster obliqua

SC

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

E

D

Barred Owl

Strix varia

T

Black-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus erthropthalmus

SC

Blackburnian Warbler

Dendroica fusca

SC

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Dendroica caerulescens

SC

Black-throated Green Warbler

Dendroice virens

SC

Blue-headed Vireo

Vireo solitarius

SC

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

E

Bog Turtle

Glyptemys muhlenbergii

E

T

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

SC

Bronze Copper

Lycaena hyllus

E

Brown Thrasher

Toxostoma rufum

SC

Brush-tipped Emerald

Somatochlora walshii

SC

Cerulean Warbler

Dendroica cerulea

SC

Cooper's Hawk

Accipiter cooperii

SC

Eastern Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina carolina

SC

Golden-winged Warbler

Vermivora chrysoptera

E

P

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

SC

Harris' Checkerspot

Chlosyne harrisii

SC

Hooded Warbler

Wilsonia citrina

SC

Indiana Bat

Myotis sodalis

E

E

Jefferson Salamander

Ambystoma jeffersonianum

SC

Least Bittern

Ixobrychus exilis

SC

Least Flycatcher

Empidonax minimus

SC

Longtail Salamander

Euycea longicauda longicauda

T

Northern Copperhead

Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen

SC

Northern Goshawk

Accipiter gentilis

E

Northern Parula

Parula americana

SC

Pied-billed Grebe

Podilymbus podiceps

E

Red-shouldered Hawk

Buteo lineatus

E

Spatterdock Darner

Rhionaeschna mutata

SC

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus horridus

E

Veery

Catharus fuscescens

SC

Whip-poor-will

Caprimulgus vociferus

SC

Williamson's Emerald

Somatochlora williamsoni

SC

Winter Wren

Troglodytes troglodytes

SC

Wood Thrush

Hylocichla mustelina

SC

Wood Turtle

Glyptemis insculpta

T

Worm-eating Warbler

Helmitheros vermivorum

SC

E=Endangered, T=Threatened, SC=Special Concern, D=Delisted, P=Petitioned