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Important Bird and Birding Areas
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Featherbed Lane
Mercer CountyCoordinates: N 40.4085
W 74.7748
Piedmont Plains: PiedmontArea: 20,780 Acres Habitat: Deciduous forest, forested wetland and shrub-scrubSite Description: The Featherbed Lane IBA is located in the Sourland Mountains of Mercer County and generally includes Sommer Park and surrounding lands north of Featherbed Lane. The site is a matrix of habitats including late successional forest, climax forest, forested wetland and hay fields. This site is contained within the East Amwell Grassland Natural Heritage Priority Macrosite. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) designates significant natural areas in NJ as Natural Heritage Priority Sites.
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| Eastern Bluebird | Jim Gilbert |
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Birds: Long-term avian studies conducted at Featherbed Lane demonstrate an impressive diversity of over 70 breeding birds including: Cooper’s Hawks, Kentucky Warblers, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Wood Thrushes, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Bobolinks, Veeries, Eastern Meadowlarks, Yellow-breasted Chats, Ruffed Grouse, American Woodcocks, Brown Creepers, Carolina Chickadees, Hairy Woodpeckers, Barred Owls, Scarlet Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles. Dark-eyed Juncos, American Tree Sparrows, Purple Finches, Hermit Thrushes and at least an additional 44 species overwinter in the area. Permanent residents include, among others, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, Eastern Screech-Owls, Pileated Woodpeckers and Eastern Bluebirds. The site also provides migratory stopover habitat to as many as 81 species of migrants.Conservation: Habitat loss and degradation at the Featherbed Lane IBA is a result of development pressure on adjacent lands, the establishment of invasive plant species, an overabundant deer population, feral cats and succession of habitats to later stages of forest. As a long-term study site, many fields are maintained as shrublands through selective hand-cutting and bush-hogging. Much of this work is conducted by volunteers from local farms and from Washington Crossing Audubon Society. Researchers, like Hannah Suthers, have used these early successional habitats to answer questions regarding old field succession and use by songbirds during autumn migration. Pre- and post-management studies show that shrubland species are responding positively to the treatments. Grassland areas are maintained with periodic mowing to benefit Field Sparrows, American Woodcocks, Barn Swallows and Indigo Buntings. Hunting is employed at the site to reduce deer herds. Feral cats are removed when possible and residents are encouraged to keep cats indoors.Additional Information: Site Report
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