Rockport Marsh

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Important Bird and Birding Areas

IBBA Site Guide

Rockport Marsh

Sussex County

Coordinates: N 41.27203
W 74.57859

Skylands: Appalachian Mountains

Area: 3,764 Acres

Habitat: Primarily nontidal wetlands with upland forest, scrub-shrub and grassland

Site Description: Rockport Marsh, located within the Wantage Grasslands of Sussex County, is a large, open, freshwater wetland with scrub-shrub, grassland and upland forest habitats. The site is fed by a branch of the Wallkill River and includes the privately-owned Rockport and Black Dirt Marshes.

IBA Criteria:

Criterion	Species
Conservation Concern – State-endangered (B)	American Bittern, Northern Harrier, Pied-billed Grebe
Conservation Concern – State-special Concern (B)	Least Flycatcher


Least Flycatcher	Phil Jeffrey

Birds: Rockport Marsh provides breeding habitat for the state-endangered American Bittern, Pied-billed Grebe and Northern Harrier and the state-special concern Least Flycatcher. Additional breeding birds include state-threatened Red-headed Woodpeckers, King Rails, Barred Owls, and Golden-winged Warblers as well as the Great Blue Herons, Wood Ducks, Mallards, Hooded Mergansers, Green Herons, Common Moorhens, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Yellow Warblers, Northern Waterthrushes, Common Yellowthroats, Swamp Sparrows, Common Nighthawks and Least Bitterns.

Conservation: Although the site is largely surrounded by farms preserved through New Jersey’s Farmland Preservation Program, agricultural runoff and a growing number of residential subdivisions are threatening its freshwater wetlands. Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation due to development are major concerns. Nearby development has also increased nonpoint source pollution, particularly stormwater discharge, entering the wetlands. The water quality of Rockport Marsh is further degraded by agricultural runoff from crop fields of the adjacent farming operations. Additional threats to Rockport Marsh include overabundant deer, invasive plant species, and loss of early successional habitats to forested communities. Unprotected parcels of Rockport Marsh and the surrounding habitats should be targeted for acquisition, or outreach to public and private landowners, to encourage habitat maintenance and restoration. Several federal and state incentive programs are available to landowners interested in managing and protecting wildlife habitat. Projects that protect wetland habitats include maintaining protective buffers to reduce agricultural runoff, removing invasive vegetation, maintaining connectivity between wetlands, installing livestock fencing and controlling livestock grazing. Active management, including prescribed mowing, haying, grazing and burning, as well as other techniques of maintaining early successional habitats, is also recommended.

Additional Information: Site Report


Rockport Marsh in winter	John Parke