Surveys will be conducted for secretive marsh birds in all accessible emergent wetlands of fort DIX (primary site) and lakehurst (secondary site)

Secretive marsh birds are a group of cryptic, wetland-dependent waterbirds that breed in vegetative emergent wetlands throughout north america (e.g., bitterns, rails, and gallinules), many of which are species of concern, including american bitterns (botaurus lentiginosus), least bitterns (ixobrychus exilis), king rails (rallus elegans), and pied-billed grebes (podilymbus podiceps). Not all wetlands are occupied by, or even suitable for, secretive marsh birds. The cryptic nature of secretive marsh birds paired with limited on-the-ground field sampling for these birds on military sites has resulted in an incomplete understanding of which installations provide habitat for each species. Fort DIX is ranked among the top ten military installations for habitat suitability for four species, pied-billed grebe, least bittern, king rail, and common gallinule (gallinula galeata). Routes and points will be established along roads adjacent to wetland habitat for fenced areas that cannot be accessed, and along paths and trails for areas that are not fenced off. Avian surveys will be conducted at each point approximately every 2 weeks during the breeding season from mid-april until mid-june 2023, during the survey windows recommended in the standardized north american marsh bird monitoring protocol for new jersey. Because the target species are seldom observed and vocalize infrequently, we will use broadcast calls to elicit vocalizations during surveys. We will determine and report on the number of points and sites where each species was observed and calculate relative frequency of occurrence for each species observed, including the (1) number of point locations a species was observed total number of point locations surveyed and (2) number of sites where a species was observed number of sites surveyed. Identification and wise management of wetlands that provide habitat for these species is vital to ensuring secretive marsh bird persistence and is legally mandated on federal lands within the U.S. For species protected under the endangered species act. Secretive marsh birds will benefit through informed decision making by joint base staff that integrates regional ecosystem management, military readiness, range sustainment, and conservation goals.