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 WMAEndangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Wildlife |
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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 |