Sparta Mountain WMA Wildlife Species

There is more to forests than just trees. Forests provide a home, a nursery to raise young, and a dinner table for many species of wildlife. But there are some wildlife species we at DEP have been entrusted to protect that are struggling to survive—those classified as rare, endangered, and of special concern. So we’re working to bring back these species—it would be irresponsible for us to ignore this serious decline.

To improve wildlife habitats at Sparta Mountain WMA, we will

Foster old growth forests
for nesting red-shouldered hawks (endangered) and barred owls (threatened), wood thrush (special concern) and others that rely on old growth forests in Sparta Mountain WMA

Create open-canopy forests
for the red-headed woodpecker (threatened), whip-poor-will (special concern), and cerulean warbler (special concern), and others that rely on open-canopy forests in Sparta Mountain WMA

Create young forests
for the golden-winged warbler (endangered), prairie warbler (special concern) and enhanced foraging, nesting, and roosting habitat for birds and many other wildlife species

Retain trees with cavities and exfoliating bark
for bird and bat species

Add basking habitat
in the wetlands for turtles

Forests for the Birds

While trees can be planted and grow where you placed them, many songbirds will look and look for just the right spot to nest. They search for a place that has enough food for nestling birds as well as enough food and cover once they fledge. When these birds don’t find these requirements, they either don’t nest or they try and fail. If there’s no new generation, numbers decline—just as they have for the past 40 years. Research shows that one of the primary causes of decline for species such as golden-winged warblers, blue-winged warblers, wood thrush, and prairie warblers is related to habitat on the breeding grounds.

Over 80 bird species benefit from young forests such as:

• American goldfinch (New Jersey state bird)
• Blue-winged warbler
• Indigo bunting
• Wood thrush
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Prairie Warbler
• Eastern towhee

Across Sparta Mountain WMA you will find common species such as white-tailed deer, black bear, eastern wild turkey, gray squirrel, chipmunk, coyote, red fox, beaver, several types of turtles and snakes, bats, and a variety of songbirds. In addition, many not so common species such as the bobcat also rely on the forests here. We manage the forest to improve habitat for all these species.

Sparta Mountain WMA
Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Wildlife

Common Name	Scientific Name	State Status	Federal Status
Arrowhead Spiketail	Cordulegaster obliqua	SC
Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	E	D
Barred Owl	Strix varia	T
Black-billed Cuckoo	Coccyzus erthropthalmus	SC
Blackburnian Warbler	Dendroica fusca	SC
Black-throated Blue Warbler	Dendroica caerulescens	SC
Black-throated Green Warbler	Dendroice virens	SC
Blue-headed Vireo	Vireo solitarius	SC
Bobcat	Lynx rufus	E
Bog Turtle	Glyptemys muhlenbergii	E	T
Broad-winged Hawk	Buteo platypterus	SC
Bronze Copper	Lycaena hyllus	E
Brown Thrasher	Toxostoma rufum	SC
Brush-tipped Emerald	Somatochlora walshii	SC
Cerulean Warbler	Dendroica cerulea	SC
Cooper’s Hawk	Accipiter cooperii	SC
Eastern Box Turtle	Terrapene carolina carolina	SC
Golden-winged Warbler	Vermivora chrysoptera	E	P
Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	SC
Harris’ Checkerspot	Chlosyne harrisii	SC
Hooded Warbler	Wilsonia citrina	SC
Indiana Bat	Myotis sodalis	E	E
Jefferson Salamander	Ambystoma jeffersonianum	SC
Least Bittern	Ixobrychus exilis	SC
Least Flycatcher	Empidonax minimus	SC
Longtail Salamander	Euycea longicauda longicauda	T
Northern Copperhead	Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen	SC
Northern Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis	E
Northern Parula	Parula americana	SC
Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	E
Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	E
Spatterdock Darner	Rhionaeschna mutata	SC
Timber Rattlesnake	Crotalus horridus horridus	E
Veery	Catharus fuscescens	SC
Whip-poor-will	Caprimulgus vociferus	SC
Williamson’s Emerald	Somatochlora williamsoni	SC
Winter Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	SC
Wood Thrush	Hylocichla mustelina	SC
Wood Turtle	Glyptemis insculpta	T
Worm-eating Warbler	Helmitheros vermivorum	SC

E=Endangered, T=Threatened, SC=Special Concern, D=Delisted, P=Petitioned