Abstract:
Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) populations in the eastern United States have been declining. One of the main causes for these declining trends is the destruction of wetlands for development and agriculture. Restored and re-created wetlands help reestablish Marsh Wren populations. To examine habitat components selected by Marsh Wrens, vegetation and water parameters were measured at two locations at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (GMNWR), Sudbury, MA during summer 2001. Marsh Wren territories were determined using behavioral observations and playback of tape recordings. Vegetation plots were used to compare several parameters between territories and random sites. These two study locations varied greatly; thus, they were treated separately for data analyses. At Wash Brook, territorial sites had significantly greater cattail (Typha spp.) density and height than random sites. At Concord, purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) was less dense at territories than random sites; Wash Brook did not contain purple loosestrife. Water depth was significantly lower at Wash Brook territories, and significantly higher at Concord territories suggesting that it was not a factor determining Marsh Wren territories. My data also suggests that tall, dense, vegetation structure is selected by Marsh Wrens with cattail as the selected species. Furthermore, Marsh Wrens avoided habitats with purple loosestrife, an invasive species. However, further studies are needed to determine if habitat parameters other than the ones I measured are important components of Marsh Wren territories.
