Rare and endangered species are those animals whose numbers have 

 become or are in danger of becoming so low that the population's reproductive 

 rate cannot keep pace with the death rate. Among the large birds of prey, the 

 osprey, peregrine falcon, Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, and the yellow- 

 crowned night heron are considered rare in the LIS area. These birds still 

 find suitable habitat in the remaining salt marshes of Long Island Sound, 

 although many of them only visit or rest during certain seasonsc The Sound 

 region also provides habitat for two amphibians and one reptile considered 

 rare, the cricket frog, the eastern spadefoot toad, and the bog turtleo Two 

 species of whales, the humpback and Atlantic right whale, classified as endan- 

 gered, have also been seen occasionally in or near the east end of the Soundo 

 Seriously over- harvested, there are only a few hundred surviving members of 

 each of these specieso The river otter, once prevalent on Long Island and in 

 Connecticut's rivers and streams, is now occasionally seen after a 50-year 

 period of virtual extirpation from the regiouo The short-nose sturgeon is also 

 considered rare, but a few can be found in the lower Connecticut River » 



The list of rare and endangered species (JJL) continues to increase. 

 Hopefully, the Long Island Sound area will continue to provide refuge for 

 these species as well as a suitable habitat for the more abundant wildlife 

 forms o 



Based on information obtained from the New York State Department 

 of Environmental Conservation and the Connecticut Department of Environmental 

 Protection, upland woodlands and farms are the primary habitat types encoun- 

 tered in the LISS region (L5) « However, wetlands and immediately adjacent 

 upland areas are extremely valuable on the basis of their role in nutrient 

 recycling, and as nursery, feeding and resting areas for fish and wildlifeo 

 In this respect, they far outrank upland woodlands and farms in regard to 

 habitat supply. 



In addition to upland and wetland habitat bordering the Sound 

 region, many islands within the Sound itself provide living space for numerous 

 wildlife forms, including additional shoal water areas for fish, shellfish, and 

 various marine invertebrates « Most of these islands are located off the 

 Connecticut coastline. The islands_^ particularly those near Norwalk, are fre- 

 quented by herons, osprey, marsh hawks, waterfowl, and hundreds of migratory 

 and upland birds. Habitat type ranges from marsh to woodland to rock ( 16) . 

 Many of these islands are of great value as rookeries and nesting habitat for 

 rare and/or endangered birds (osprey, some heron species) and, as such, should 

 be preserved in their natural state. 



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