Find Nature in
Cape May Point State Park (birding) and Island Beach State Park (barrier island) to mountainous regions like the Delaware Water Gap (Mount Tammany views) and High Point State Park (highest point), plus vast forests like Wharton State Forest, historic trails in Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park, and urban oases such as Liberty State Park and the Palisades Interstate Park
INaturalist an App for Nature
Biodiversity To Be Found
Additional Wildlife of New Jersey
To flesh out your understanding of the region’s natural history, here is a breakdown of the specific taxa you can expect to encounter in the Garden State.
Birds (Avifauna)
New Jersey is home to Cape May, often considered the birding capital of North America. The peninsula’s geography acts as a natural funnel, concentrating millions of migrating birds in the fall as they hesitate to cross the Delaware Bay. The most dramatic ecological story here is that of the Red Knot. This shorebird times its migration from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic to coincide exactly with the spawning of Horseshoe Crabs in Delaware Bay, gorging on the eggs to fuel the final leg of its journey.
Mammals
Despite the human density, New Jersey has the highest density of Black Bears per square mile in North America, particularly in the northwest counties of Sussex and Warren. The Bobcat has also made a significant recovery, moving silently through the rocky ridges of the north. In the marine environment, the return of menhaden schools has brought Humpback Whales within sight of the shoreline, feeding actively off the coast of Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Insects
The Pine Barrens support a unique community of insects adapted to acidic bogs. The Bog Copper butterfly is a specialist found in cranberry bogs, where its larvae feed exclusively on wild cranberry plants. The Hessel’s Hairstreak is another rarity, a vibrant green butterfly that relies entirely on Atlantic White Cedar swamps. The state is also home to a diverse array of dragonflies, including the Tiger Spiketail, which patrols the clean, spring-fed streams of the Highlands.
Plants
The flora of the Pine Barrens is exceptional for its adaptations to nutrient-poor soils. Here you will find carnivorous plants like the Purple Pitcher Plant and various Sundews, which have evolved to digest insects to obtain the nitrogen that the sandy soil lacks. The Pygmy Pines in the Plains distinct region are a dwarf variety of Pitch Pine that only grows to about knee-height despite being mature trees, a localized adaptation to frequent fires and wind. Pyxie Moss is a rare, creeping sub-shrub found almost exclusively in the Pine Barrens, resembling a moss but actually being a flowering plant.
Fungi
The sandy, acidic soils of the south support a different fungal community than the hardwood forests of the north. Boletes are common here, forming mycorrhizal relationships with the pines. The Pine Barrens Truffle (Rhizopogon) acts as an underground fruiting body specifically adapted to be dug up and dispersed by small mammals. In the cedar swamps, the high humidity allows for the growth of Swamp Beacon fungi, which thrive on the waterlogged debris.
New Jersey Biodiversity Profile
New Jersey is perhaps the greatest ecological paradox in the United States. While it is the most densely populated state in the nation, it also boasts significant wilderness areas and functions as a critical biological funnel for the East Coast. The state is divided by distinct geological provinces, but the crown jewel is undoubtedly the Pine Barrens (Pinelands). This 1.1-million-acre expanse in the southern coastal plain is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It sits atop the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, a massive underground reservoir of pure fresh water. The sandy, acidic soil here creates a unique “pyrogenic” ecosystem dominated by Pitch Pine and scrub oaks, which have evolved serotinous cones that only open to release seeds during the intense heat of a wildfire.
To the north, the Highlands and Ridge and Valley provinces present a stark contrast. This region is defined by ancient Precambrian rock, forming rugged hills and deep valleys like the Delaware Water Gap. These contiguous forests of oak, hickory, and maple are essential for water filtration and provide a corridor for large mammals moving down from the Appalachians. The rocky terrain here creates vernal pools and hibernation dens that are critical for amphibian and reptile biodiversity.
The Delaware Bayshore offers a globally significant coastal ecosystem. Unlike the Atlantic side with its resort towns, the bay side is a quiet network of salt marshes and mudflats. This interface is the stage for one of the planet’s most ancient migrations: the spawning of the horseshoe crab. The synchronization between this event and the arrival of migratory shorebirds is a delicate and vital ecological link that defines the region’s biological importance.
Finally, the Atlantic Coast is a dynamic system of barrier islands and back-bay estuaries. While heavily developed, the remaining salt marshes are highly productive nurseries for winter flounder and blue crabs. The inlets serve as flushing mechanisms, exchanging nutrients between the open ocean and the sheltered bays, maintaining the health of the submerged aquatic vegetation.