Bird
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
Lives in Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 133 counties and cities, across 10 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 10

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- 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 Virginia 10
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Granite and other acidic rock outcrops

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.
Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone
Open, thin-soil openings and rock on limestone, dolomite or other lime-rich rock, including cedar glades.
Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.
Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.
Steep, sun-baked slopes of loose shale with sparse oaks and Virginia pine and their own endemic wildflowers. Linked only where the source names shale barrens; calcareous shale stays with the limestone glades.
Salt-pruned forests and shrub thickets behind coastal dunes.
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.
Other habitats in its models (84)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Virginia. Those recorded in Virginia first, the rest by region.
In Virginia 2
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Year-round.
Elsewhere in the South (41)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland 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 (3)
- Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and 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 (32)
- 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.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Understory 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 - Loblolly Pine Modifier 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.
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 462
- Slender LespedezaLespedeza virginica
- Trailing LespedezaLespedeza procumbens
- Creeping LespedezaLespedeza repens
- Lespedeza hirta var. curtissiiLespedeza hirta var. curtissii
- Narrowleaf LespedezaLespedeza angustifolia
- Roundhead LespedezaLespedeza capitata
- Tall LespedezaLespedeza stuevei
- Violet LespedezaLespedeza frutescens
- Wand LespedezaLespedeza violacea
- Prairie-tea CrotonCroton monanthogynus
- Elliptical RushfoilCroton willdenowii
- Tooth Leaf Croton; Sand CrotonCroton glandulosus var. septentrionalis
- Galactia brachypodaGalactia brachypoda
- American PlumPrunus americana
- Canada PlumPrunus nigra
- Chickasaw PlumPrunus angustifolia
- ChokecherryPrunus virginiana var. virginiana
- Fire CherryPrunus pensylvanica
- Beach PlumPrunus maritima
- Susquehanna CherryPrunus susquehanae
- Common Partridge PeaChamaecrista fasciculata var. fasciculata
- Common Sensitive PlantChamaecrista nictitans var. nictitans
- Bear OakQuercus ilicifolia
- Black OakQuercus velutina
Plant genera in its diet records (50)
- Lespedeza 18 diet records. 9 native plants in Virginia
- Croton 15 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Sorghum 10 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Galactia 9 diet records. 1 native plant in Virginia
- Prunus 9 diet records. 7 native plants in Virginia
- Glycine 8 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Urochloa 8 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Zea 8 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Chamaecrista 7 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Quercus Seeds. 7 diet records. 27 native plants in Virginia
- Vigna 7 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Geranium 6 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Oxalis 6 diet records. 7 native plants in Virginia
- Sassafras 6 diet records. 1 native plant in Virginia
- Triticum 6 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Ambrosia 5 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Digitaria 5 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Setaria 5 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Panicum 4 diet records. 7 native plants in Virginia
- Paspalum 4 diet records. 11 native plants in Virginia
- Physalis Fruit. 4 diet records. 7 native plants in Virginia
- Rhus 4 diet records. 6 native plants in Virginia
- Vicia 4 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Carex 3 diet records. 170 native plants in Virginia
- Centrosema 3 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Cyperus 3 diet records. 30 native plants in Virginia
- Desmanthus 3 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Diodia 3 diet records. 1 native plant in Virginia
- Krigia 3 diet records. 4 native plants in Virginia
- Liquidambar 3 diet records. 1 native plant in Virginia
- Mimosa 3 diet records. 1 native plant in Virginia
- Polygonum 3 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Rubus 3 diet records. 9 native plants in Virginia
- Sesbania 3 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Zanthoxylum 3 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Argemone 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Celtis Fruit. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Commelina 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Descurainia 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Desmodium 2 diet records. 19 native plants in Virginia
- Dichanthelium 2 diet records. 51 native plants in Virginia
- Helianthus 2 diet records. 10 native plants in Virginia
- Impatiens 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Menodora 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Pediomelum 2 diet records. 1 native plant in Virginia
- Rhynchosia 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Verbena 2 diet records. 4 native plants in Virginia
- Viola 2 diet records. 33 native plants in Virginia
- Bidens 1 diet record. 12 native plants in Virginia
- Strophostyles 1 diet record. 2 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
- Field SparrowSpizella pusilla
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- Black-throated Blue WarblerDendroica caerulescens
- Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianus
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
Dry forests and woodlands
Birds 68
- Pine WarblerDendroica pinus
- Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla
- Blackburnian WarblerDendroica fusca
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
- Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
- Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- Black-throated Blue WarblerDendroica caerulescens
Plants 230
- American ChestnutCastanea dentata
- Eastern Winged SumacRhus copallinum var. latifolia
- Godfrey's ThoroughwortEupatorium godfreyanum
- White ThoroughwortEupatorium album
- Sessileleaf Tick-trefoilDesmodium sessilifolium
- Leavenworth's SedgeCarex leavenworthii
- Southern Whitetinge SedgeCarex albicans var. australis
- Southern LoosestrifeSteironema tonsum
- Carolina LilyLilium michauxii
- Tall BellflowerCampanulastrum americanum
- Bigleaf SnowbellStyrax grandifolius
- Delicate Rabbit-tobaccoPseudognaphalium micradenium
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP year-round habitat model for Northern Bobwhite Elevation up to 975 m. Leaves out developed land
- 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










































































