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Important Bird and Birding Areas
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Cape May National Wildlife Refuge - Great Cedar Swamp Division
Cape May CountyCoordinates: N 39.22604
W 74.76611
Site Map Delaware Bay: New England / Mid-Atlantic CoastArea: 23,639 Acres Habitat: Mixed upland forest with a mix of tidal and nontidal wetlandsSite Description: The Cape May National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), composed of the Delaware Bay Division, the Great Cedar Swamp Division and Two Mile Beach Unit, was established in 1989 with the purchase of 90 acres from The Nature Conservancy. The Great Cedar Swamp Division is located in Upper and Dennis Townships and encompasses 7700 acres of the Great Cedar Swamp a large Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) swamp. The site contains significant amounts of old-growth hardwood swamp and contiguous upland forest as well as salt marsh and grassland areas. The site includes the Great Cedar Swamp Natural Heritage Priority Macrosite, containing a large organic-soil wetland in the headwaters of Dennis Creek and Cedar Swamp Creek.IBA Criteria:
| Criterion | Species |
| Conservation Concern – State-threatened (B) | Barred Owl, Cooper's Hawk |
| Conservation Concern – State-special Concern (B) | Broad-winged Hawk |
| Regional Responsibility Species - BCR 30 Mixed Upland Forest (B) | Acadian Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo, Blue Jay, Broad-winged Hawk, Carolina Chickadee, Common Grackle, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Gray Catbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, Kentucky Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Northern Flicker, Scarlet Tanager, Tufted Titmouse, Whip-poor-will, Wild Turkey, Wood Thrush, Worm-eating Warbler, Yellow-throated Vireo |
| Regional Responsibility Species - BCR 30 Salt Marsh/Wetland (B) | American Black Duck, Clapper Rail, Marsh Wren, Salt-marsh Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Virginia Rail, Willet |
| Significant Congregations | |
| Significant Migrant Stopover/Flyover (FM, SM) | Landbirds |
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| Barred Owl | MacKenzie Hall |
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Birds: State-threatened Barred Owls, Cooper’s Hawks and state-special concern Broad-winged Hawks breed within the extensive forested uplands and wetlands of the Great Cedar Swamp Division. Breeding forest interior species include large numbers of Wood Thrushes and a variety of warbler species. Salt marsh dependent birds, including Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows, American Black Ducks, Seaside Sparrows, Clapper Rails, Marsh Wrens, Virginia Rails and Willets also breed here. The refuge provides excellent resting and feeding habitat for migratory birds on the Atlantic Flyway. A Doppler Radar migration study, “Oases Along the Flyway,” conducted by the Research Department of New Jersey Audubon Society, has confirmed this site as critical stopover habitat for migrating songbirds during spring and fall migration. Wintering owl species include Short-eared, Long-eared and Northern Saw-whet Owls.Conservation: Fragmentation and habitat loss are the greatest threats occurring on the privately-owned lands adjacent to the Refuge boundary. Expanding residential and industrial development, including sand and gravel operations, have created gaps in the habitats of Cape May County. While the Cape May NWR continues to expand toward its goal of acquiring 21,000 acres, private land adjacent to the refuge should be prioritized for acquisition or targeted for outreach to landowners to promote incentives for protecting and managing habitat. Recreational activities such as off-road vehicle use disturb and degrade habitats and are a significant problem on public land. In 2007, the Cape May NWR was listed among the top 10 refuges at risk by the Defenders of Wildlife. With enough funds to pay only one refuge enforcement officer to patrol 14,000 acres, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is unable to stop illegal off-road vehicles from destroying wildlife habitat and disturbing nesting and feeding birds within the Cape May Refuge. The Comprehensive Management Plan for the refuge includes wildlife surveys, public use improvements and habitat management plans targeting upland forest, forested wetland, salt marsh, open water, and early successional habitats. Specific management objectives include the restoration of the hydrology of the salt marsh, the restoration of sand-gravel pits to Atlantic white cedar swamps (Chamaecyparis thyroides) and the development and implementation of an integrated pest management program to control invasive plant species. The refuge’s first prescribed burn was conducted in 2007 to maintain grassland habitat by promoting native warm season grasses through reduction of woody vegetation and cool season grasses.Additional Information: Site Report
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| A typical cedar swamp | Mark S. Garland |
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