Bear Swamp is a swamp

Swamp

A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...

 in Cumberland County

Cumberland County, New Jersey

Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population is 156,898. Its county seat is Bridgeton. Cumberland County is named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland....

, southwestern New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, notable for its 215 acres (87 ha) of old-growth forests and the birds they contain. It is divided into two areas, Bear Swamp East and Bear Swamp West, separated from each other by gravel mines and roads.

Bear Swamp West contains broadleaf swamp forest dominated by Black Gum, American Sweetgum

American Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua, commonly called the American sweetgum, sweet-gum, alligator-wood, American-storax, bilsted, red-gum, satin-walnut, or star-leaved gum, is a deciduous tree in the genus Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico...

, Red Maple

Red Maple

Acer rubrum , is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. It ranges from the Lake of the Woods on the border between Ontario and Minnesota, east to Newfoundland, south to near Miami, Florida, and southwest to east Texas...

, and Sweetbay Magnolia

Sweetbay Magnolia

Magnolia virginiana, most commonly known as sweetbay magnolia, or merely sweetbay , is a member of the magnolia family, Magnoliaceae...

. Other trees present are American Beech

American Beech

Fagus grandifolia, also known as American Beech or North american beech, is a species of beech native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario in southeastern Canada, west to Wisconsin and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida in the United States. Trees in the...

, Swamp White Oak

Swamp White Oak

Quercus bicolor, the swamp white oak, is a medium-sized tree of the north central and northeastern mixed forests. It has a very large range, and can survive in a variety of habitats. It grows rapidly and can reach 300 to 350 years...

, and American Holly

American Holly

Ilex opaca, the American Holly, is a species of holly, native to the eastern United States, from coastal Massachusetts south to central Florida, and west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas.-Description:...

. Some 100 acres (40.5 ha) of this forest is old-growth filled with trees of impressive sizes and ages. The Black Gum are nearly 4 feet (121.9 cm) in diameter and 600 years old. The Sweetgum again nearly 4 feet (121.9 cm) in diameter, and 300 years old. The Red Maple are over 4 feet (121.9 cm) in diameter. The American Holly are particularly large, reaching 22 inches (55.9 cm) in diameter and 80 feet (24.4 m) tall.

Bear Swamp East is in Belleplain State Forest

Belleplain State Forest

Belleplain State Forest is a New Jersey State Forest in northern Cape May County and eastern Cumberland County. It has many young pine, oak and Atlantic white cedar trees, having better soil than the northern Pine Barrens...

. It covers 1439 acres (582.3 ha) and contains 115 acres (46.5 ha) of old-growth forest. It has forests similar to Bear Swamp West, but with large Tulip Poplar on hummock

Hummock

A hummock is a boss or rounded knoll of ice rising above the general level of an ice-field, making sledge travelling in the Arctic and Antarctic region extremely difficult and unpleasant....

s, some reaching 5 feet (152.4 cm) in diameter and 400 years of age.

As many as 30 Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...

s nest in the Swamp, and it is home to the oldest continuously occupied Bald Eagle nest in New Jersey. It is a breeding site for Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico.-Description:...

s, Barred Owl

Barred Owl

The Barred Owl is a large typical owl. It goes by many other names, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably best known as the hoot owl.-Description:...

s, and Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from Canada to Mexico. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female...

s, all species of concern

Species of Concern

In wildlife conservation, Species of Concern is an informal term, not defined in the federal Endangered Species Act. The term commonly refers to species that are declining or appear to be in need of concentrated conservation actions. Many agencies and organizations maintain lists of these at-risk...

 in the state. It is one of just two known breeding sites in southern New Jersey for Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...

s.