Webb Royce Swamp has historically been a great birding location with a variety of breeding ducks, Great Blue Herons, Red-winged Blackbirds, Osprey, Black-crown Night Herons, and Northern Harriers

The surrounding forests and forest edges provide habitats for a variety of birds such as breeding Baltimore Oriole and Eastern Kingbird, and the marshy area itself can be good for Virginia Rail, Red-winged Blackbird, and if there is water, puddle ducks.

The Webb Royce Swamp (also known as Webb-Royce Marsh) is a diverse wetland wildlife habitat located in a large flat-bottomed valley south of Essex, across Lake Shore Road from Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest. Comprised of an extensive hardwood swamp bordered by agricultural fields, the Webb Royce Swamp is especially popular among birders drawn to the abundance of ducks and other waterfowl.

Webb Royce Swamp is reached by a 700-foot-long accessible trail. This hardened trail travels through a field in the early stages of succession, then crosses a hedgerow into another field that is actively mowed before ending at a raised pad overlooking the swamp. The pad provides unblocked views across a large expanse of the swamp and serves as a turn-around spot for wheelchairs. The variety of habitats seen from the access trail provides an opportunity to view a wide range of bird species and other wildlife.