The maze of marshes, oyster beds, and sandbars that make up the sound side of Masonboro Island are home to a variety of bird species and other life. Blue crabs, flounder, and baitfish scuttle and school in winding creeks, and as fall arrives, so do migrating birds like the Semipalmated Plover, American Oystercatcher, and Seaside Sparrow. These birds all use the back side of barrier islands like Masonboro Island for feeding. Seaside and Saltmarsh Sparrows, like the ones pictured below, can be seen flitting about the marsh, gleaning insects from Spartina stems. Because their habitat is situated in the intertidal zone, these sparrows are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise.

Often the brown Spartina is adorned with white birds--Great Egrets and White Ibis, along with Great Blue and Tricolored Herons--that eye the tidal creeks for prey. Many migratory shorebirds are also the beneficiaries of habitat provided behind Masonboro Island. Oystercatchers feed there at low tide and then fly across the waterway to roost on docks and shell rakes at high tide. Also at low tide, sandbars are exposed, giving these Semipalmated Plovers a secluded place to feed.

The marshes may not be as easy for humans to access, or be as famous among tourists as the beach, but they provide rich habitat for a wide array of bird life.