Migratory Bird Habitat and the Forest
The Atlantic Flyway is a major north-south flyway for more than 500 migratory birds in North America—and New Jersey is located along that route. A flyway is a “highway” regularly used by large numbers of birds who migrate from tropical climates to northern areas. Migratory birds typically arrive in New Jersey from March through the month of May.
Wood Thrushes, a species of special concern, fly from the tropics to the Drew Forest because they have access to mature trees, underbrush and water. Nesting couples need to stake out a foraging territory of 5 acres. A few trees in a suburban yard are not an adequate replacement.
Bird populations are facing alarming declines due to deforestation and development. The Drew Forest’s 53 acre habitat is important because, unlike suburban housing, it is a large, intact area of sheltered woodland. In addition, it connects to adjacent public parks, providing a wildlife corridor for native species like the Wood Thrush that return each spring for the nesting season.
Especially in the Forest’s deer-fenced areas, birds and wildlife enjoy a rich understory of shrubs and planets that help to protect their young from predators. Moist leaf litter along the forest floor provides plenty of caterpillars, worms and invertebrates for birds to feed their young, who rely almost entirely on a diet of soft, squishy, protein-packed insects.
Native migratory bird species in the Forest include:
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Corthylio calendula)
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
Developing the Drew Forest would not only have an ecological impact on Madison, it would impact the viability of wildlife populations in adjacent parks—the Loantaka Brook Reservation, the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and the Giralda Farms preserve. The loss of the Drew Forest would affect both bird survival and our local ecosystem as a whole.
