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Bird

Northern Bobwhite

Colinus virginianus

Lives in North Carolina all year and nests here. Found in all 100 counties, across 10 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 100 counties
Habitats
10

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 100 counties
Habitats
10
Habitat models
Year-round

Where it lives

The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.

Habitats in North Carolina 10

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 10

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Year-roundSouthern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine ModifierNamed place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Pine flatwoods

Georgia Pines
Year-roundCentral Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and FlatwoodsGeorge Inness, Georgia Pines (1890): tall, straight pines over an open, grassy floor in a south Georgia pine woods. Regional view: the painting does not name the exact site. Shown: Georgia pine woods (George Inness, 1890; site not named), a neighboring state.Georgia Pines, George Inness (1825-1894), 1890. Public domain. Source record.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Black Mountainlabel QS:Len,"Black Mountain"
Year-roundDeveloped, Open Space; Cultivated Cropland; Pasture/Hay; Disturbed/Successional - Grass/Forb Regeneration; Utility Swath - Herbaceous; Ruderal Upland - Old FieldLyell Carr, Black Mountain: a pasture and hayfield with a log barn, rail fence and grazing cow below the Black Mountains. Black Mountain, North Carolina (Lyell E. Carr)Black Mountainlabel QS:Len,"Black Mountain", Lyell Carr, c. 1890-1912. Public domain. Source record.

Coastal dunes and beaches

Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.

Year-roundAtlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Year-roundSoutheastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest; Southern Appalachian Montane Pine Forest and Woodland; Southern Appalachian Low Mountain Pine Forest

Forest edges and thickets

Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.

Year-roundDisturbed/Successional - Shrub Regeneration; Successional Shrub/Scrub (Other); Harvested Forest - Shrub Regeneration

Pine savannas

Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.

Year-roundCentral Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods

Sandhills

Dry, deep-sand ridges with longleaf pine and turkey oak, kept open by fire.

Year-roundAtlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier; Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier

Maritime forests and thickets

Salt-pruned forests and shrub thickets behind coastal dunes.

Year-roundBeside its main habitat.Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Maritime Forest

Tree plantations and managed pine

Planted or intensively managed stands of pine or hardwoods grown for timber; a land use rather than a natural community.

Year-roundBeside its main habitat.Evergreen Plantation or Managed Pine; Managed Tree Plantation
Other habitats in its models (83)

Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in North Carolina. Those recorded in North Carolina first, the rest by region.

In North Carolina 2

  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Year-round.
  • Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Year-round.
Elsewhere in the South (42)
  • Appalachian Shale Barrens Year-round.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Maritime Forest Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Year-round.
  • Central and South Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Year-round.
  • Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Year-round.
  • Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Year-round.
  • Central Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens Year-round.
  • Central Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens Year-round.
  • Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round.
  • Cumberland Sandstone Glade and Barrens Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Maritime Forest Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Year-round.
  • East-Central Texas Plains Pine Forest and Woodland Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Year-round.
  • Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Year-round.
  • Florida Dry Prairie Year-round.
  • Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods Year-round.
  • Mississippi Delta Maritime Forest Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Year-round.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Bluestem Woodland Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Ridge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland Year-round.
  • South Florida Hardwood Hammock Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • South Florida Pine Rockland Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Southeast Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Year-round.
  • Southern Blackland Tallgrass Prairie Year-round.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Oak Dome and Hammock Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Southwest Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Year-round.
  • Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Year-round.
  • Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Year-round.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Year-round.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Year-round.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Flatwoods Year-round.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Forest Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Sandhill Oak and Shortleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Year-round.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Year-round.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Year-round.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Year-round.
Northeast (4)
  • Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland Year-round.
  • Central Appalachian Pine-Oak Rocky Woodland Year-round.
  • North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Year-round.
  • Northeastern Interior Pine Barrens Year-round.
Midwest (6)
  • Central Mixedgrass Prairie Year-round.
  • Central Tallgrass Prairie Year-round.
  • North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Year-round.
  • North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Year-round.
  • North-Central Oak Barrens Year-round.
  • Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Year-round.
Land cover and other classes (29)
  • Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Pine Modifier Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Year-round.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-Line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Modifier Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Dry Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest - Offsite Pine Modifier Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Juniper Modifier Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Year-round.
  • Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Year-round.
  • Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
  • Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Year-round.
  • Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Year-round.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Year-round.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Year-round.
  • Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Year-round.
  • Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Virginia/Pitch Pine Modifier Year-round.
  • Recently Burned Grassland Year-round.
  • Recently Burned Shrubland Year-round.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest - Pine modifier Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Year-round.

All habitats

Seasons in North Carolina

  • Year-round: nests here, in all 100 counties.

Food plants

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Plants matched by genus.

Native plants in these genera 455

Plant genera in its diet records (50)
  • Lespedeza 18 diet records. 9 native plants in North Carolina
  • Croton 15 diet records. 4 native plants in North Carolina
  • Sorghum 10 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Galactia 9 diet records. 5 native plants in North Carolina
  • Prunus 9 diet records. 10 native plants in North Carolina
  • Glycine 8 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Urochloa 8 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Zea 8 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Chamaecrista 7 diet records. 2 native plants in North Carolina
  • Quercus Seeds. 7 diet records. 31 native plants in North Carolina
  • Vigna 7 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Geranium 6 diet records. 2 native plants in North Carolina
  • Oxalis 6 diet records. 8 native plants in North Carolina
  • Sassafras 6 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Triticum 6 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Ambrosia 5 diet records. 4 native plants in North Carolina
  • Digitaria 5 diet records. 3 native plants in North Carolina
  • Setaria 5 diet records. 3 native plants in North Carolina
  • Panicum 4 diet records. 5 native plants in North Carolina
  • Paspalum 4 diet records. 11 native plants in North Carolina
  • Physalis Fruit. 4 diet records. 9 native plants in North Carolina
  • Rhus 4 diet records. 5 native plants in North Carolina
  • Vicia 4 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Carex 3 diet records. 148 native plants in North Carolina
  • Centrosema 3 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Cyperus 3 diet records. 35 native plants in North Carolina
  • Desmanthus 3 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Diodia 3 diet records. 2 native plants in North Carolina
  • Krigia 3 diet records. 5 native plants in North Carolina
  • Liquidambar 3 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Mimosa 3 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Polygonum 3 diet records. 5 native plants in North Carolina
  • Rubus 3 diet records. 11 native plants in North Carolina
  • Sesbania 3 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Zanthoxylum 3 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Argemone 2 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Celtis Fruit. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in North Carolina
  • Commelina 2 diet records. 2 native plants in North Carolina
  • Descurainia 2 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Desmodium 2 diet records. 18 native plants in North Carolina
  • Dichanthelium 2 diet records. 43 native plants in North Carolina
  • Helianthus 2 diet records. 16 native plants in North Carolina
  • Impatiens 2 diet records. 2 native plants in North Carolina
  • Menodora 2 diet records. 0 native plants in North Carolina
  • Pediomelum 2 diet records. 1 native plant in North Carolina
  • Rhynchosia 2 diet records. 3 native plants in North Carolina
  • Verbena 2 diet records. 5 native plants in North Carolina
  • Viola 2 diet records. 24 native plants in North Carolina
  • Bidens 1 diet record. 11 native plants in North Carolina
  • Strophostyles 1 diet record. 2 native plants in North Carolina

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Also found in its main habitats

Its main habitats in North Carolina, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Birds 89

Plants 1314

All of roadsides, fields and disturbed ground in North Carolina

Forest edges and thickets

Birds 40

Plants 231

All of forest edges and thickets in North Carolina

Dry forests and woodlands

Birds 53

Plants 217

All of dry forests and woodlands in North Carolina

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources