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Important Bird and Birding Areas
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Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Salem CountyCoordinates: N 39.60437
W 75.5218
Site Map Piedmont Plains: New England / Mid-Atlantic CoastArea: 6,611 Acres Habitat: Primarily tidal wetland with areas of upland forest, forested wetlands and grasslandsSite Description: Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in western Salem County along the Delaware River and is immediately adjacent to the Mannington Meadows IBA. Nearly 80% of the Refuge is composed of brackish tidal marshes. The site also protects almost 400 acres of upland forest, forested wetland and grassland/old field habitats.IBA Criteria:
| Criterion | Species |
| Conservation Concern – State-endangered (B) | Bald Eagle |
| Conservation Concern – State-threatened (B) | King Rail |
| Regional Responsibility Species - BCR 30 Scrub-shrub/Barrens (B) | Eastern Towhee, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Northern Bobwhite |
| Regional Responsibility Species - BCR 30 Forested Wetland (B) | Chimney Swift, Wood Duck |
| Regional Responsibility Species - BCR 30 Mixed Upland Forest (B) | Baltimore Oriole, Carolina Chickadee, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Gray Catbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, Northern Flicker, Wood Thrush |
| Significant Congregations (B) | Wading Birds |
| Significant Congregations (W, FM, SM) | Waterfowl |
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| Little Blue Heron | Mike Lyncheski |
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Birds: The Supawna Meadows IBA provides breeding habitat for the state-endangered Bald Eagle. Over 20 state-threatened King Rails also breed at this site. Significant numbers of breeding mixed upland forest, shrub/scrub, and forested wetland dependant species occur at Supawna Meadows. The Refuge marshes provide valuable foraging habitat for more than 6000 pairs of colonial wading birds nesting less than a mile away on Delaware’s Pea Patch Island. One of the largest heron rookeries on the east coast north of Florida supports nine species: Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, Black and Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and Glossy Ibis. The refuge provides important resting and feeding habitat for spring and fall migrants including waterfowl species and passerines. Mallards and Northern Pintails also winter at the Refuge.Conservation: The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) currently manage the refuge for a variety of birds including migratory birds, particularly waterfowl, wading birds, songbirds, woodcock and shorebirds. Agricultural lands have been converted to grasslands for grassland bird species. Shrub/scrub habitat is being maintained to provide early successional habitat for migratory birds and American Woodcock. The USFWS employs prescribed burns to control nonnative plants, including the common reed (Phragmites australis), and to facilitate grassland management. Nest boxes for Wood Ducks and songbirds are also deployed by volunteers, many of whom belong to the Friends of the Supawna Meadows NWR, a group of local volunteers dedicated to the protection of the Refuge. In 2007, the USFWS announced its plans to begin development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Supawna Meadows. The CCP will provide refuge managers with a 15 year plan for achieving the refuge’s goals. While the majority of the IBA is protected as a federally-owned refuge, development pressure in the area threatens the quality of habitat on private parcels. This development will fragment important habitats adjacent to the refuge and decrease the water quality within the Salem River watershed. Protection of privately-owned lands can be achieved by promoting landowner incentives for protecting and managing habitat and by prioritizing parcels for acquisition and/or conservation easement.Additional Information: Site Report
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| Supawna Meadows NWR | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service |
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