New England/Mid-Atlantic Coast

Description: This area has the densest human population of any region in the country. Much of what was formerly cleared for agriculture is now either in forest or in residential use. The highest priority birds are in coastal wetland and beach habitats, including the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, Piping Plover, American Oystercatcher, American Black Duck, and Black Rail. The region includes critical migration sites for Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Semipalmated Sandpiper, and Dunlin. Most of the continental population of the endangered Roseate Tern nests on islands off the southern New England states. Other terns and gulls nest in large numbers, and large mixed colonies of herons, egrets, and ibis may form on islands in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay regions. Estuarine complexes and embayments created behind barrier beaches in this region are extremely important to wintering and migrating waterfowl, including approximately 65 percent of the total wintering American Black Duck population, along with large numbers of Greater Scaup, Tundra Swan, Gadwall, Brant, and Canvasback. Exploitation and pollution of Chesapeake Bay and other coastal zones, and the accompanying loss of submerged aquatic vegetation, have significantly reduced their value to waterfowl.

Bird Conservation Plans
Landbirds - Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plains, Southern New England
Shorebirds - Northern Atlantic
Waterbirds - Mid Atlantic/New England/Maritimes
Waterfowl - Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Waterfowl Implementation Plan
All Birds -New England/Mid-Atlantic Coast BCR Implementation Plan, Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Strategic Plan

Joint Venture area: Atlantic Coast

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