Delaware Swamp Sparrow Survey

This annual survey monitored the vulnerable population of the little known and secretive coastal plain swamp sparrow from 2000 to 2009.

Survey Results

Swamp sparrows were typically found on 1/3 of the 141 survey points. The population appeared to be stable.

Number of Points each Year

See more results to discover the abundance and distribution of all birds recorded on the survey.

Survey Protocol

• 141 different points were censused in Delaware along the Delaware Bay, the bird's center of abundance.
• points were located along roads that traverse the marshes that this bird inhabits.
• point locations ranged from upland wood edges to the low marsh so that the impact of sea level rise on this bird could be documented.
• birds were counted during a 5 minute time interval
• all birds (not just swamp sparrows) were counted within a radius of 100 meters
• the survey occurred during the height of breeding season, when males were singing the most, in early June
• birds were surveyed at the time of peak daily activity, 6 to 10 a.m.

Who did the survey?

The survey was a cooperative effort between the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and the Delmarva Ornithological Society.