And even if there’s a trail or boardwalk handy, or you can overlook the marsh from a platform or upland rise, there’s the simple fact that marsh birds are often, shall we say, less than cooperative? Ha -- they can be downright invisible!
Yes, birders often can enjoy the sight of tall and stately Great Egrets or Great Blue Herons striking grand poses above the grasses or cattails. But most of the other marsh birds are about as easy to see as the “green flash” at sunset on Key West.
Birds like Sora, Yellow Rail and Least Bittern are sometimes so hard to find they can seem like more fiction than fact. But they’re out there! Somewhere… And appreciating them requires a bit of patience, study and appreciation for the marsh itself.
Rare breeds
One reason marsh birds are hard to find is that marshes themselves are becoming ever more rare and endangered. After several hundred years of draining, ditching, diking and filling we’ve already eradicated much of our coastal salt marsh and freshwater marsh habitat. And despite modern wetlands protection laws the onslaught continues. As a result many marsh-dwelling birds (and mammals, insects, fish, invertebrates, etc.) are also threatened and endangered both regionally and globally.
“Follow the money” and you’ll find all manner of wetlands destruction still going on across America, mostly in the name of real estate development. Mandated “mitigation” often becomes just another way to grease palms and the skids of development. Here’s a pretty unswerving article on that subject in a recent issue of Audubon magazine: view link
The good news is that more and more people recognize that marshes are critically important habitats both economically and ecologically, and that we must preserve them. Still, even birders rarely venture into these seemingly inhospitable yet magnificent places.
Making the effort
Close encounters with marsh birds can take a bit of concerted effort. Sometimes you might sit for awhile with a camouflaged bird calling just a few yards away, yet only glimpse it. Hearing the birds and knowing they’re there is exciting, but it can be frustrating when they don’t come out and play.
Personally, I’m a big ol’ marsh rat. I’ve stomped through my share of bottomland and salt hay from Florida to Maine and some on the West Coast, Gulf Coast and in between, too. I don’t necessarily expect to emerge clean or un-bitten, but for me it’s worth some minor discomforts to spend time experiencing the magic of a marsh and its bird life. In fact, I probably lead more bird walks (for kids as well as adults) and guide more private clients in marshes and wetlands than any other class of habitat.
Secretive species
The marsh is a tough place for birds to live and nest -- with fluctuating water levels; an unstable, muddy surface, and little protection from the sun and wind. On the plus side, it’s also not a very nice place for predators, especially most mammals. Grasses and reeds provide cover and nest materials for those birds adapted to cope with them. And there’s certainly no shortage of bugs out there.
Many of the most cryptic marsh birds belong to the Rail and Bittern families. These include the Least Bittern, American Bittern, King Rail, Clapper Rail, Virginia Rail, Sora, Yellow Rail, Black Rail (legendary even among rails for its elusiveness), Common Moorhen and Purple Gallinule.
These birds by-and-large spend their time stalking about step-by-step in the vegetation, entirely out of sight and rarely if ever flying. Occasionally, though, such as during migration or at the start of the breeding season, they’re out strolling around in plain sight -- who knows why?
Another way to see rails is visit the saltmarsh at times of the highest high tides. At these points in the tide cycle the water may almost fill the marsh, driving rails to the edges or even out into the open.
Among my favorite marsh birds is the energetic Marsh Wren. They sing their gargled, rattling trill call incessantly at times, even at night. Marsh Wrens breed or winter in many parts of the US, with cattails being their “vegetation of choice.” They glean insects from the stems of plants and even stick their heads underwater to snarf choice invertebrate morsels.
Another fascinating marsh bird is the Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Other sparrows like the Song Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow might nest at the edges of the marsh, but only a few sparrows, such as Nelson’s and closely related Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows and the Seaside Sparrow, can nest right in the marsh itself.
Other widespread marsh nesters that are often less hard to see than the above species include Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Pied-billed Grebe and Willet.
Be there or be square
On almost any occasion, the best way to find marsh birds is to listen closely first. Get to know their calls and sit patiently in a sheltered spot where you can see the edge of a reed bed or look down on the saltmarsh grasses and into tidal creek channels.
Showing up and waiting expectantly while observing the fascinating natural world all around you is rewarded a lot more frequently than staying home. So get out there and enjoy spending time in a freshwater or tide marsh near you! I bet you’ll be very glad you did.
Peace and good birding,
Scott Cronenweth
Eons birding mentor
www.naturalpathwalks.com
