Bird
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Lives in Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 133 counties and cities, across 8 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 8
At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 8
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Virginia 8
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 8
Granite and other acidic rock outcrops
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Wet ground taken over by weedy or introduced plants after disturbance, such as common reed, Chinese tallow or tamarisk stands; the upland counterpart is roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.
Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.
Marshes along tidal rivers where the water is fresh but rises and falls with the tide.
Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone
Open, thin-soil openings and rock on limestone, dolomite or other lime-rich rock, including cedar glades.
Other habitats in its models (38)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Virginia. Those recorded in Virginia first, the rest by region.
In Virginia 1
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Summer.
Elsewhere in the South (14)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Summer.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer.
- Florida Dry Prairie Summer and winter.
- Florida Panhandle Beach Vegetation Winter.
- Florida Peninsula Inland Scrub Winter.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Summer.
- Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
Northeast (1)
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale Summer.
Land cover and other classes (22)
- Developed, Low Intensity Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer and winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
- Orchards Vineyards and Other High Structure Agriculture Winter.
- Recently Burned Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Forest Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Grassland Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Recently Logged Areas Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Winter.
- The model distinguishes abandoned fields from actively planted row crops.
Seasons in Virginia
- Year-round: nests here, in all 133 counties and cities.
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 97
- MaidencanePanicum hemitomon
- Panicum amarum var. amarulumPanicum amarulum
- Bitter PanicgrassPanicum amarum
- Fall Panic GrassPanicum dichotomiflorum var. dichotomiflorum
- Panicum virgatum var. virgatumPanicum virgatum var. virgatum
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatum
- Wiry PanicgrassPanicum flexile
- Tufted HairgrassDeschampsia cespitosa
- Digitaria serotinaDigitaria serotina
- Shaggy CrabgrassDigitaria villosa
- Southern CrabgrassDigitaria ciliaris
- Deam's Three-seeded MercuryAcalypha deamii
- Common Threeseed MercuryAcalypha rhomboidea
- Slender Threeseed MercuryAcalypha gracilens
- Virginia Threeseed MercuryAcalypha virginica
- Earlyleaf BromeBromus latiglumis
- Fringed BromeBromus ciliatus
- Hairy Woodland BromeBromus pubescens
- Nottoway Valley BromeBromus nottowayanus
- Field ThistleCirsium discolor
- Pasture ThistleCirsium pumilum
- Tall ThistleCirsium altissimum
- Carolina ThistleCirsium carolinianum
Plant genera in its diet records (17)
- Panicum Seeds. 7 diet records. 7 native plants in Virginia
- Deschampsia Seeds. 4 diet records. 1 native plant in Virginia
- Digitaria Seeds. 3 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Acalypha Seeds. 2 diet records. 4 native plants in Virginia
- Bromus Seeds. 2 diet records. 5 native plants in Virginia
- Cirsium Seeds. 2 diet records. 9 native plants in Virginia
- Danthonia Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Festuca Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Oxalis Seeds. 2 diet records. 7 native plants in Virginia
- Poa Seeds. 2 diet records. 8 native plants in Virginia
- Rumex Seeds. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Setaria Seeds. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Sorghastrum Seeds. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Avena 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Chloris Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Cyperus Seeds. 1 diet record. 30 native plants in Virginia
- Euphorbia Seeds. 1 diet record. 11 native plants in Virginia
Also found in its main habitats
Its main habitats in Virginia, 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 96
- Cape May WarblerDendroica tigrina
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
- Upland SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- House FinchCarpodacus mexicanus
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
Plants 1283
- Pussy WillowSalix discolor
- Crooked-stem AsterSymphyotrichum prenanthoides
- Long Stalk AsterSymphyotrichum dumosum var. dumosum
- Canada LettuceLactuca canadensis
- Common HorseweedErigeron canadensis
- Annual FleabaneErigeron annuus
- Hairy FleabaneErigeron bonariensis
- Dog-fennelEupatorium capillifolium
- Carolina Crane's-billGeranium carolinianum
- Common Evening-primroseOenothera biennis
- Cutleaf Evening-primroseOenothera laciniata
- Northern Evening-primroseOenothera parviflora
Forest edges and thickets
Birds 46
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- House FinchCarpodacus mexicanus
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Wilson's WarblerWilsonia pusilla
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- Black-throated Blue WarblerDendroica caerulescens
- Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianus
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
Plants 244
- Bristly BlackberryRubus setosus
- Tall LarkspurDelphinium exaltatum
- Canada PlumPrunus nigra
- ChokecherryPrunus virginiana var. virginiana
- Fire CherryPrunus pensylvanica
- Silky DogwoodSwida obliqua
- Giant SunflowerHelianthus giganteus
- Gray DogwoodSwida racemosa
- Southern DewberryRubus trivialis
- Buffalo CloverTrifolium reflexum
- Cutleaf GoldenrodSolidago arguta
- Hairy GoldenrodSolidago hispida var. hispida
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Birds 130
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- DovekieAlle alle
- Pine WarblerDendroica pinus
- Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
- Bachman's SparrowAimophila aestivalis
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Nelson's Sharp-tailed SparrowAmmodramus nelsoni
- Purple SandpiperCalidris maritima
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Thayer's GullLarus thayeri
Plants 24
- Slender FimbryFimbristylis autumnalis
- Purple SpikerushEleocharis atropurpurea
- Blue MistflowerConoclinium coelestinum
- False DaisyEclipta prostrata
- Intermediate Spike RushEleocharis intermedia
- Blunt Spike RushEleocharis obtusa
- Mid-Atlantic Flat-top GoldenrodEuthamia floribunda
- Bristly SedgeCarex comosa
- ChaffweedCentunculus minimus
- Shortbeak BeaksedgeRhynchospora nitens
- Sensitive FernOnoclea sensibilis
- AxilflowerMecardonia acuminata var. acuminata
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Field Sparrow Avoids forest interior
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001), modeled by watershed; migratory gives no dates
- NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0), habitat names
- US Census TIGER/Line counties
- Names follow the USGS Gap Analysis Project (2001)
- Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab) (CC0 1.0), diet records by plant genus