Four Sparrow Marsh

This 64-acre natural area was named by naturalists Ron and Jean Bourque in honor of the four sparrow species that have been observed nesting here: saltmarsh sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta), seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima), swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), and song sparrow (Melospiza melodia). Saltmarsh sparrows and seaside sparrows are particularly rare in New York City because they require undisturbed marshland for nesting. Because of its relative isolation from residential areas in Brooklyn, Four Sparrow Marsh is an ideal habitat for many nesting bird species – including several types of ducks, gulls, wading and woodland birds – as well as for the common seashore mollusks and crustaceans, which those birds feed on. Birdwatchers can often find rare birds in the grassy salt marsh, including bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), common snipe (Gallinago gallinago), and little blue heron (Egretta caerulea).

As a large and mature salt marsh on the north side of the Jamaica Bay estuary system, Four Sparrow Marsh serves two critical roles besides nesting habitat: it is a rest stop for up to 326 species of migrating birds on the Atlantic Flyway and filters pollution and excess nutrients from the Bay. Four Sparrow Marsh contains several types of habitats besides salt marsh, including deciduous forest, low brush, open meadow, and an intertidal mudflat. The forest consists mainly of cherry (Prunus serotina), elm (Ulmus spp.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), sumac (Rhus spp.), and willow (Salix spp.) The open meadow has areas covered by mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), an introduced species that often thrives in landfilled areas, as well as patches of dense native grasses such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).

NYC Parks has been restoring portions of Four Sparrow Marsh since the early 2000s.