For example, the clapper rail ( Rallus 

 longirostrls ) is often conspicuous by 

 its familiar call in southern New 

 England marshes during summer, and 

 other birds including great black- 

 backed gulls ( Larus marginus ), herring 

 gulls (L. argentatus ), laughing gulls 

 {I. atricjTTaJi common terns ( Sterna 

 hirundo ), and least terns {ST 

 albifrons ) also use the high marsh for 

 nesting (Lucid 1971; Nixon and Oviatt 

 1973a; Burger and Shisler 1978). The 

 relatively high diversity of birds on 

 the high marsh is largely due to the 

 "edge effect" of the marsh-upland 

 ecotone where shorebirds and water 

 birds mix with field and forest 

 species. Because many species appear 

 to nest in areas with little or no 

 tidal flooding, the high marsh may 

 also be considerably more attractive 

 as a nest site than the S^. alterni- 

 flora zone. Berger and Shisler (1978) 

 pointed out, however, "Despite the 

 extensive recent work on shorebirds, 

 little information exists either on 

 general habitat preferences, or on 

 specific nest-site preferences." 

 Their particular study was concerned 

 with nest-site selection by the 

 willet ( Catoptrophorus semipalmatus ), 

 a common marsh bird often associated 

 with Spartina patens . While willets 

 did build their nests from ^. patens , 

 the important environmental variable 

 in nest-site selection was elevation 

 rather than vegetation. 



Sharp-tailed sparrow 



Long-billed marsh wren ( Typha or 



Phragmites ) 

 Meadowlark 



Savannah sparrow (highest areas) 

 Marsh hawk 



Short-eared owl (local) 

 Black rail (rare) 



Nest in high marsh, but feed in pools 

 of S^. alterniflora zone: 



Clapper rail 

 Willet 

 Black duck 

 Blue-winged teal 

 Canada goose 

 Seaside sparrow 



I 



Nest in 

 water: 



high marsh, but feed in open 



Gulls 

 Terns 



Nest in upland edge, but feed in high 

 marsh: 



Yellowthroat 



Song sparrow 



Catbird 



Kingbird 



Redwing 



Crackle 



Nest on woody islands; feed in the 

 marsh: 



i 



While few, if any, birds are 

 confined to the high marsh habitat, 

 many species use the high marsh for 

 one or more activities: feeding, 

 cover, nesting, or rearing young. 

 The following habitat use-species 

 associations in New England high 

 marsh were provided by Ralph Andrews 

 and colleagues of the U.S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service in Massachusetts. 



Nest and feed in high marsh: 



Herons 

 Egrets 

 Glossy ibis 



Nest elsewhere; feed 

 marsh: 



Swallow 

 Chimney swift 



It is difficult to 

 importance of different 

 and plant parts in the 



on insects over 



quantify the 

 marsh plants 

 diets of the 



34 



