This has serious consequences for bird species that require large, contiguous forest tracts for successful breeding like worm-eating and Kentucky warblers, as well as threatened and endangered raptors like the barred owl and red-shouldered hawk. Over the last two decades the Northeast has experienced an increase in forested land, however, forested land now generally tends to be more fragmented. Species diversity is an indicator that a habitat is a healthy, functioning ecosystem - these are the areas where we first focus conservation efforts. These forested areas are critical because they provide habitat for a diversity of species with many different life-history requirements. First, survey data for forest-dwelling Neotropical migrants was combined with location data for endangered and threatened forest species to identify and map critical forest habitats in the Delaware Bay and Highlands Landscapes. The surveys covered a land area of approximately 2.5 million acres and generated 4,564 samples in a variety of habitat types.ĮNSP biologists used this bird survey data in two ways. As of the fall of 1999, the ENSP has completed bird and habitat surveys in three study areas: The Delaware Bay, Highlands and Pinelands Landscapes. Work cooperatively with landowners, county and municipal planners, state regulators, land managers and the general public to protect these important habitats.Īs part of Landscape Project protection efforts, Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) Biologists commenced systematic surveys in 1994 to document statewide distribution and abundance of bird populations.Produce mapping that shows where these critical habitats are, and.Identify the critical habitats that these populations rely on,.Document the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations in New Jersey,.The mission of the Landscape Project is to: The Landscape Project for Rare Species Protection began in 1994 as a method to help stem the decline of wildlife populations in New Jersey. (See: Endangered and Threatened Species List Avian Species of Special Concern in New Jersey. Unfortunately, we know that many other groups of species have suffered population declines for the very same reasons - habitat loss and fragmentation severely impacts many animals such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Habitat loss and fragmentation, caused by development and other human activities, are the main causes of population declines.įorest birds of the Northeast are the group for which population declines are the best documented. Over the past 20 to 30 years, biologists have been documenting the alarming declines of many Neotropical migrant bird populations. If you are lucky enough to live near large forests, you can hear many different species in a chorus of song - these are usually the males singing to defend their breeding territories from other males and to attract females. Over 130 species breed right here in New Jersey, and nearly 80 of these are songbirds, many of which you can see in your own backyard during spring migration. There are 361 species of Neotropical migrant birds ranging from herons and raptors to swallows and warblers. The Neotropics are generally defined as the tropical regions of Mexico, and Central and South America that lie south of the Tropic of Cancer. Neotropical migrants are birds of the Western Hemisphere that migrate long distances from wintering grounds in the New World Tropics (or "Neotropics") to breeding grounds in North America. Neotropical Migrant Bird Survey New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife