North Haven, New Haven, Hamden (New Haven County)

Status: Globally Important IBA

Ownership: State of Connecticut

Nominator: Nancy Rosenbaum, Quinnipiac River Watershed Partnership Tidal Marsh Working group; New Haven Bird Club

Size: ~900 Acres

Location: 41° 21’ N, 72° 52’ W

Habitats:
Primary—Brackish tidal marsh

Land Use:
Primary—Hunting/fishing, nature and wildlife conservation
Secondary—Urban/commercial

Threats:
Serious—Pollution, development, invasive or non-native plants

Site Description: 900 acres of the tidal marsh is owned by the State of Connecticut and managed by the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection as a Wildlife Management Area. The Quinnipiac River originates in the Deadwood Swamp on the New Britain/Farmington border and flows 38 miles to New Haven Harbor. The brackish tidal marsh is south of Sackett Point Road (North Haven) and is influenced by the daily rise and fall of the tide. The marsh is adjacent to a large urban area and lies in the towns of North Haven, New Haven, and Hamden. It is bordered by railroad tracks/yards, major streets, shopping malls, five landfills, junkyards, and industrially contaminated sites. Phragmites is a significant problem. 

IBA Criteria: Connecticut Endangered and Threatened Species; Rare, Unique, or Representative Habitat; Exceptional Concentrations of Migratory Landbirds; Long-term Research and Monitoring. 

Birds: The marsh is a very productive nesting area for Osprey (13 pairs), a wintering area for Northern Harrier (3-4 birds), and one of few known nesting locations for Common Moorhen and Least Bittern in Connecticut. The marsh is a nesting and wintering area for American Black Ducks and a nesting area for Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow. The marsh has been a roosting area for mixed flocks of blackbirds in the spring and fall migrations, including Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles.

Non-avian Resources: The area is important as a large block of unique wetland habitat surrounded by development. The marsh formerly supported one of the state’s largest populations of Muskrat, but encroachment by Phragmites has greatly reduced their abundance.

Existing Conservation Measures: There is significant Phragmites encroachment into the marsh systems, and the Connecticut DEEP and Ducks Unlimited are cooperatively restoring areas of the marsh by controlling Phragmites, plugging several mosquito ditches, and excavating shallow pools to restore open water habitat and improve tidal flow. The Quinnipiac River Watershed Partnership was formed in 1999 to work to restore and improve the Quinnipiac River Watershed, and includes representation from the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association, the CT DEEP, U.S. EPA, and local partners. There is a Tidal Marsh Working Group subcommittee of the Quinnipiac River Watershed Partnership, which focuses on the estuarine salt marsh. The New Haven Bird Club coordinates several bird monitoring programs in the marsh, including Christmas and Summer Bird Counts, Osprey monitoring, and CT DEEP wetland callback surveys.

State-listed Species: