A Field Guide to Edwin

B. Forsythe National
Wildlife Refuge

BROUGHT TO YOU BY
THE STOCKTON UNIVERSITY
FALL 2016 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
STUDENTS
 Water Birds

Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Habitat: Coastal and inland waterways
Diet: Fish
Fun Fact: While flying, osprey orient prey head first in
their talons, making them more aerodynamic!

Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Habitat: Beaches, estuaries, and urban towns
Diet: Opportunistic scavenger, but mostly shellfish
Fun Fact: Many herring gulls find opportunity to eat and
live at dumps!

Laughing Gull
Larus atricilla
Habitat: Beaches, estuaries, and urban towns
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, foods left by beach-goers,
and fish
Fun Fact: Laughing gull populations were nearly
exterminated by egg and feather hunters in the late
1800s!

Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Habitat: Beaches, estuaries, and rocky shorelines
Diet: Small fish including minnows
Fun Fact: Common terns drink salt water and have nasal
glands that excrete excess salt!
Shore Birds

Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
Habitat: Mudflats, jettys, rocky and sandy shores
Diet: Small aquatic invertebrates and insects
Fun Fact: The oldest ruddy turnstone on record was
over 14 years old and found right here in New Jersey!

Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Habitat: Mudflats
Diet: Aquatic and saltmarsh insects
Fun Fact: Dunlin feed in a sewing machine fashion,
quickly bobbing their beaks in and out of the mud!

Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Habitat: Flooded fields, marshes, and mudflats
Diet: Small aquatic invertebrates and fish
Fun Fact: A group of yellowlegs is called an
"incontinence" of yellowlegs

Willet
Catoptrophorus semipalmatus
Habitat: Salt marshes
Diet: Fish, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates
Fun Fact: Both male and female willet incubate nests,
but only the male incubates at night!
 Marsh Ducks
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, grassy marshes, and shallow
streams
Diet: Aquatic mollusks, crustaceans, seeds, and plant
material including wild rice and millet
Fun Fact: Mallards are the ancestors of most domestic
ducks!

American Black Duck

Anas rubripes
Habitat: Estuaries, rivers, and ponds
Diet: Aquatic mollusks, crustaceans, small fish, and plant
material
Fun Fact: A major conservation issue facing black ducks
is hybridization with mallards

Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
Habitat: Wetlands, grassy marshes, and shallow open
water areas
Diet: Aquatic plant material including seeds and roots of
pondweeds, grasses, and smartweeds
Fun Fact: Due to their sleek winter plumage and long
tail, pintail have acquired many nicknames such as
greyhounds, spring tails, and sprigs!

Green Wing Teal

Anas crecca
Habitat: Shallow marshes, ponds, and river systems
Diet: Aquatic vegetation such as widgeon grass and
pondweeds
Fun Fact: Green wing teal are the smallest North
American duck!
Diving Ducks/Geese

Bufflehead
Bucephala albeola
Habitat: Open water bays and estuaries
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates and fish
Fun Fact: Bufflehead nest in tree cavities usually created
by Northern Flickers and woodpeckers!

Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Habitat: Open water areas in estuaries, rivers, or bays
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates and small fish including
minnows
Fun Fact: The oldest hooded merganser on record was
over 14 years old!

Atlantic Brant
Branta bernicla
Habitat: Estuaries, bays, and urban fields
Diet: Aquatic plants such as eelgrass and sea lettuce
Fun Fact: Often mistaken for a duck, Atlantic Brant are
actually geese!

Snow Goose
Habitat: Marshes, fields, and ponds
Diet: Vegetation including rushes, forbs, and sedges
Fun Fact: While many Snow geese are white, genetic
variation causes some to be a darker blue morph!
North America is broken
into four flyways which all
ducks follow south during
the fall migration season.
The waterfowl will follow the
same flyway for the spring
migration, returning north to
breed.
Aquatic Mammals

Northern River Otter

Lutra canadensis
Habitat: Clean Rivers, wood-edged ponds, lakes and
occasionally coastal estuaries.
Diet: Eats fish, frogs, turtles, and muskrats.
Fun Fact: They enjoy playful activities including sliding
down snow covered, icy, or muddy hills
ending with a splash in the water.

Mink
Mustela vison
Habitat: Freshwater ponds and shores, woodlots and
coastal marshes.
Diet: Eats fish, birds, rodents, and frogs.
Fun Fact: They can swim up to 100 feet underwater.

American Beaver
Castor Canadensis
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, rivers, and adjacent woods.
Diet: Bark, twigs of broadleaf trees. Stashes branches
underwater for winter use.
Fun Fact: Beavers are second to humans in their ability
to change and manipulate their environment.

Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
Habitat: Fresh and salt Marshes as well as ponds, rivers,
and canals.
Diet: Eats aquatic vegetation.
Fun Fact: They are very good swimmers and can stay
underwater for up to 15 minutes.
 Large Mammals
White Tail Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Habitat: Broadleaf, mixed woodswoodland edges,
fields, watersides, gardens and coastal scrub.
Diet: Mainly eats vegetation including bids, maple twigs,
sassafras, aspen, and birch.
Fun Fact: They are good swimmers and will use large
streams and lakes to escape predators.

Eastern Coyote
Canis Latrans
Habitat: Woods, brushy fields, and edges of towns.
Diet: Small mammals, birds, frogs, and snakes.
Fun Fact: Coyotes are nocturnal which is why they howl
at night to communicate their location.

Red Fox
Vulpes Vulpes
Habitat: Brushy and open areas.
Diet: Rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, berries, and fruit.
Fun Fact: Foxes communicate to each other by using
their tail as a signal flag and by making scent posts.

Raccoon
Procyon Lotor
Habitat: Woods and scrub near water; towns.
Diet: Raccoons eat just about anything; crayfish, frogs,
mice, insects, fruit, plants and look for eggs in nests.
Fun Fact: Raccoons chose to make their dens anywhere
including, in a tree hole, fallen log and even someone's
attic.
Small Mammals
Eastern Grey Squirrel
Sciuru carolinensis
Habitat: Broadleaf mixed woods and towns.
Diet: Eats nuts buds inner bark and fruit from the ground
and trees.
Fun Fact: Squirrels with padded feet can jump 20 feet
long. Also, they can run 20 mph.

Eastern Chipmunk
Tamias Striatus
Habitat: Mixed woods, brush, and rock piles.
Diet: Gathers nuts and seeds; forages on the ground.
Fun Fact: During hibernation, chipmunks gnaw on
summer bounty of food rather than store fat.

Field Mouse
Mus Musculus
Habitat: buildings, towns, and farms.
Diet: Fruits, seeds and grains.
Fun Fact: Mices whiskers are used to feel temperature
and terrain changes.

Meadow Vole
Microtus Pennsyvanicus
Habitat: Marshes, fields, farms, and roadside edges.
Diet: Grass, seeds, roots, stems, and leaves of plants.
Fun Fact: Highest recorded vole population was 2,000
voles per acre.
 Marsh Plants
Smooth Cordgrass
Spartina alterniflora
Sun: Full Sun
Moisture: Wet
Height: 6 - 7
Description: Perennial deciduous grass found in
intertidal wetlands, especially estuarine salt marshes.
Invasive species.

Saltmeadow Cordgrass
Spartina patens
Sun: Full Sun
Moisture: Wet
Height: 3 - 5
Description: Hay- like grass found in upper areas of
brackish coastal salt marshes. Harmful noxious weed
that can spread rapidly.

Southern Bayberry
Myrica cerifera
Sun: Part Sun - Shade
Moisture: Dry - Average
Height: 15 - 20
Description: Leaves are olive green in color and
fragrant when crushed. The fruit is a source of food for
many bird species.

Common Reed
Phragmites australis
Sun: Full Sun
Moisture: Wet
Height: 6-15
Description: Invasive species. Reed bed provides
cover for birds.
Upland Plants
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Sun: Full Sun - Part Sun
Moisture: Dry - Average
Height: 30-40
Description: Evergreen with green/yellow flowers;
attracts many birds with their blue fruit.

Atlantic White Cedar

Chamaecyparis thyoides
Sun: Full Sun
Moisture: Average - Wet
Height: 40-50
Description: Green needle-like foliage with white
markings

Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
Sun: Full Sun - Part Sun
Moisture: Average
Height: 6 - 12
Description: Brilliant red fall foliage; fruit attracts
wildlife.

Staghorn Sumac
Rhus typhina
Sun: Full Sun - Part Sun
Moisture: Average - Dry
Height: 30
Description: Forms dense clusters of small red drupes.
Provides food and shelter for wildlife.
 Animal Imprints

Lodges/Huts
These structures act as homes to various animals,
mostly beavers and muskrats. They are made of
vegetation (grasses or wood) and contain two
underwater entrances. A dry center mound can be found
and provides a safe warm place to spend time resting.

Dens/Burrows
These structures are created by digging and removing
dirt to create tunnels and chambers underground. On the
surface they apear as a hole in the ground, but can be a
home to a range of animals depending on the hole size,
from fox and coyotes, to mice and voles.

Game Trails
These trails act as the roadways for the animals. It
allows them to walk through the woods with little to no
effort. These trails are commonly used by deer, fox,
coyote, raccoon, rabbits, skunks, squirrels, and a host of
other animals.

Tracks
Tracks are unique to the animals which leave them.
Tracks contain patterns. Patterns can be viewed from the
paths the animal walk,the shape and size of the track,
and can indicate the relative speed and direction the
animal was moving.