Bird
Savannah Sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis
Lives in Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 133 counties and cities, across 13 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 13

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 13
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Virginia 13
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.







Coastal tidal marshes (salinity not stated)
Tidal marshes of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts where the source does not say whether the water is fresh, brackish or salt. A stated salinity files the marsh under freshwater tidal marshes or salt and brackish marshes instead.
Depression ponds and limesinks
Shallow ponds in Coastal Plain depressions, such as limesinks and the ponds in some Carolina bays, that rise and fall with the seasons.
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.
Marshes along tidal rivers where the water is fresh but rises and falls with the tide.
Wet, open, peaty mountain wetlands fed by seepage, often with sphagnum moss.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Other habitats in its models (146)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Virginia.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Upper Texas Coast Beach Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Louisiana Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Southeast Florida Beach Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Great Lakes Dune Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Sea Island Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Southwest Florida Beach Winter, beside its main habitat.
- North Pacific Maritime Coastal Sand Dune and Strand Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Texas Coastal Bend Beach Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Temperate Pacific Intertidal Mudflat Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Temperate Pacific Freshwater Mudflat Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Playa Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Flatwoods Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- Acadian-Appalachian Alpine Tundra Summer.
- Apacherian-Chihuahuan Semi-Desert Grassland and Steppe Winter.
- Chihuahuan Gypsophilous Grassland and Steppe Winter.
- Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub Steppe Summer and winter.
- California Central Valley Mixed Oak Savanna Winter.
- California Coastal Live Oak Woodland and Savanna Winter.
- Willamette Valley Upland Prairie and Savanna Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Xeric River Dune Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Juniper Woodland and Savanna Winter.
- Great Lakes Alvar Summer.
- Wyoming Basins Dwarf Sagebrush Shrubland and Steppe Summer and winter.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Heathland and Grassland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Subalpine Meadow Summer and winter.
- North Pacific Montane Grassland Summer and winter.
- Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane, Foothill and Valley Grassland Summer.
- Northern Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Upper Montane Grassland Summer.
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Mesic Meadow Summer and winter.
- Southern Rocky Mountain Montane-Subalpine Grassland Summer and winter.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer and winter.
- Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Chihuahuan Sandy Plains Semi-Desert Grassland Winter.
- Columbia Basin Foothill and Canyon Dry Grassland Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassland Summer and winter.
- Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Columbia Basin Palouse Prairie Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Foothill and Piedmont Grassland Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Sand Prairie Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Winter.
- Northern Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Central Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Southern Blackland Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Florida Dry Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Winter.
- Tamaulipan Savanna Grassland Winter.
- Tamaulipan Clay Grassland Winter.
- South Texas Sand Sheet Grassland Winter.
- California Mesic Serpentine Grassland Summer and winter.
- Great Lakes Wet-Mesic Lakeplain Prairie Summer.
- California Central Valley and Southern Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
- California Northern Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Summer and winter.
- Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale Summer and winter.
- Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- South Texas Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- North Pacific Hypermaritime Shrub and Herbaceous Headland Summer and winter.
- North Pacific Herbaceous Bald and Bluff Summer and winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Grassland Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer and winter.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Summer and winter.
- Acadian Salt Marsh and Estuary Systems Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Temperate Pacific Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Summer and winter.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- North Pacific Shrub Swamp Summer and winter.
- South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Winter.
- Great Lakes Coastal Marsh Systems Summer.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
- North Pacific Intertidal Freshwater Wetland Summer and winter.
- North American Arid West Emergent Marsh Summer and winter.
- Temperate Pacific Freshwater Emergent Marsh Summer and winter.
- Great Lakes Freshwater Estuary and Delta Summer.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Northern Great Lakes Coastal Marsh Summer.
- Laurentian-Acadian Freshwater Marsh Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Interdunal Swale Wetland Summer and winter.
- North Pacific Bog and Fen Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Subalpine-Montane Fen Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Subalpine-Montane Fen Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Serpentine Fen Summer and winter.
- South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer and winter.
- Rocky Mountain Alpine-Montane Wet Meadow Summer and winter.
- Willamette Valley Wet Prairie Summer and winter.
- Temperate Pacific Montane Wet Meadow Summer and winter.
- Chihuahuan-Sonoran Desert Bottomland and Swale Grassland Winter.
- Great Plains Prairie Pothole Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Open Freshwater Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
- Northern California Claypan Vernal Pool Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Closed Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Saline Depression Wetland Summer and winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Inter-Mountain Basins Alkaline Closed Depression Summer and winter.
- South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Winter.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Summer and winter.
- Great Basin Foothill and Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Winter.
- North American Warm Desert Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- North American Warm Desert Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Mediterranean California Serpentine Foothill and Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Seep Summer and winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Dry Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- South Florida Pine Flatwoods Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer and winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Winter.
- Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loblolly-Hardwood Flatwoods Winter.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
- North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods Winter.
Seasons in Virginia
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 1 of 133 counties and cities.
- Winter: does not nest here, in 109 of 133 counties and cities.
- Summer: nests here, in 44 of 133 counties and cities.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 389
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
- Greater Purple Fringed OrchidPlatanthera grandiflora
- Catawba RhododendronRhododendron catawbiense
- MinniebushRhododendron pilosum
- Swamp RoseRosa palustris
- Sun-facing ConeflowerRudbeckia heliopsidis
- Godfrey's SandwortSabulina paludicola
- Dwarf GlasswortSalicornia bigelovii
- Black WillowSalix nigra
- Olney's ThreesquareSchoenoplectus americanus
- Slender Sea-purslaneSesuvium maritimum
- Big CordgrassSpartina cynosuroides
- Prairie CordgrassSpartina pectinata
- Mountain Highbush BlueberryVaccinium simulatum
- Red MapleAcer rubrum
- Venus's-hair FernAdiantum capillus-veneris
- Upland BentgrassAgrostis perennans
- Allegheny OnionAllium allegheniense
- Saltmarsh Water-hempAmaranthus cannabinus
- Seabeach AmaranthAmaranthus pumilus
- New York FernAmauropelta noveboracensis
- False Indigo-bushAmorpha fruticosa
- Filmy AngelicaAngelica triquinata
- Dragon's-mouthArethusa bulbosa
- Red ChokeberryAronia arbutifolia
Wildlife 255
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in Virginia. Not sighting records.
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
- Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticorax
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus
- Yellow-crowned Night-heronNyctanassa violacea
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Great EgretArdea alba
- Green HeronButorides virescens
NatureServe Explorer, CC BY 4.0. USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Savannah Sparrow
- 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)










































