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Bird

Snowy Egret

Egretta thula

Lives in Virginia all year and nests here. Found in 90 of 133 counties and cities, across 14 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
90 of 133 counties and cities
Habitats
14

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
90 of 133 counties and cities
Habitats
14
Habitat models
Summer, Winter

Where it lives

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

Habitats in Virginia 14

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

1 of 14

Coastal dunes and beaches

Core Banks dunes, June 2013
SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Northern Sandy Beach; Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune); Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Sandy Beach; Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal WetlandDune grassland. Shown: Core Banks, Cape Lookout, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Core Banks dunes, June 2013, Jarek Tuszyński, June 2013. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source record.

Pine flatwoods

Wet Pine Flatwoods, Shaken Creek Preserve - typical shrub layer
SummerWinterCentral Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and FlatwoodsWet pine flatwoods with a shrub layer. Shown: Shaken Creek Preserve, Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Wet Pine Flatwoods, Shaken Creek Preserve - typical shrub layer, Robert Thornhill, undated. CC BY 4.0. Source record.

Pine savannas

Sandy Pine Savanna, Rush Featherling subtype
SummerWinterCentral Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and FlatwoodsSandy pine savanna. Shown: Shaken Creek Preserve, Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Sandy Pine Savanna, Rush Featherling subtype, Robert Thornhill, undated. CC BY 4.0. Source record.

Pocosins and bay forests

Dense low pocosin
SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin; Atlantic Coastal Plain Streamhead Seepage Swamp - Pocosin - and BaygallDense low pocosin. Shown: Shaken Creek Preserve, Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Dense low pocosin, Robert Thornhill, undated. CC BY 4.0. Source record.

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Yellow butterwort beside a moss-hung coastal pond
SummerWinterOpen Water (Fresh); Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural LakeshoreRegional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal pond margins, Florida and Louisiana to North Carolina; state not identified, a neighboring state.Yellow butterwort beside a moss-hung coastal pond, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Salt and brackish marshes

Fort Fisher brackish marsh and woodland edge
SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh; Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt MarshBrackish marsh at a woodland edge. Shown: Fort Fisher, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Fort Fisher brackish marsh and woodland edge, ncwetlands.org, undated. CC0 1.0. Source record.

Swamps

View, Dismal Swamp, North Carolina
SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Streamhead Seepage Swamp - Pocosin - and Baygall; Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain Swamp Systems; Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Tidal Wooded Swamp; Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Wooded Swamp; Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier; Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression SwampNamed place / source context. Shown: Great Dismal Swamp, North Carolina, as titled by Museum of Fine Arts Boston; nineteenth-century artistic interpretation, a neighboring state.View, Dismal Swamp, North Carolina, Regis Francois Gignoux, 1850. Public domain. Source record.

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.

SummerWinter

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.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore

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.

SummerWinter

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Forest Modifier; Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier; Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest; Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain

Freshwater tidal marshes

Marshes along tidal rivers where the water is fresh but rises and falls with the tide.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh; Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh

Hardwood and oak flatwoods

Flat, poorly drained uplands and terraces with oaks, sweetgum and sometimes loblolly pine, wet in winter and dry in summer, but neither a floodplain nor a swamp.

SummerWinterAtlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier

Sounds, bays and tidal flats

Salt and brackish open water of sounds, bays and estuaries, with the mud and sand flats and seagrass beds that tides cover and uncover; the vegetated marsh is salt and brackish marshes.

SummerWinterOpen Water (Brackish/Salt)
Other habitats in its models (124)

Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Virginia.

  • Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Beach Summer and winter.
  • Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter.
  • Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter.
  • Upper Texas Coast Beach Summer and winter.
  • Louisiana Beach Summer and winter.
  • Southeast Florida Beach Summer and winter.
  • South Florida Shell Hash Beach Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Sea Island Beach Summer and winter.
  • Southwest Florida Beach Summer and winter.
  • Texas Coastal Bend Beach Summer and winter.
  • Temperate Pacific Intertidal Mudflat Summer and winter.
  • Temperate Pacific Freshwater Mudflat Summer and winter.
  • North American Warm Desert Playa Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Playa Summer.
  • South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Flatwoods Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Xeric River Dune Summer and winter.
  • Acadian Salt Marsh and Estuary Systems Summer.
  • North Pacific Maritime Eelgrass Bed Summer and winter.
  • 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 Summer and winter.
  • Mediterranean California Eelgrass Bed Summer and winter.
  • Temperate Pacific Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
  • Laurentian-Acadian Swamp Systems Summer.
  • North Pacific Shrub Swamp Summer and winter.
  • South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Great Lakes Coastal Marsh Systems Summer.
  • Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Temperate Pacific Freshwater Aquatic Bed Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • 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 Summer and winter.
  • Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Northern Great Lakes Coastal Marsh Summer.
  • South Florida Mangrove Swamp Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Summer and winter.
  • South Florida Bayhead Swamp Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Summer and winter.
  • Laurentian-Acadian Freshwater Marsh Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Summer and winter.
  • Northern Rocky Mountain Conifer Swamp Summer and winter.
  • South Florida Dwarf Cypress Savanna Summer and winter.
  • North Pacific Hardwood-Conifer Swamp Summer and winter.
  • Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp Summer.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Interdunal Swale Wetland Summer.
  • North Pacific Bog and Fen Summer and winter.
  • Mediterranean California Subalpine-Montane Fen Summer and winter.
  • Mediterranean California Serpentine Fen Summer and winter.
  • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Pitch Pine Lowland Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Willamette Valley Wet Prairie Summer and winter.
  • Temperate Pacific Montane Wet Meadow Summer and winter.
  • Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
  • South Florida Cypress Dome Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Cypress Dome Summer and winter.
  • Northern Rocky Mountain Wooded Vernal Pool Summer and 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.
  • Columbia Plateau Vernal Pool Summer.
  • 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 Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Alkaline Closed Depression Summer.
  • Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Summer and winter.
  • South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
  • South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
  • California Central Valley Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat Summer, only within 120 m of water.
  • North Pacific Lowland Riparian Forest and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • North Pacific Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Floodplain Summer and winter.
  • Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • Rocky Mountain Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • Northwestern Great Plains Floodplain Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
  • Great Basin Foothill and Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer.
  • Columbia Basin Foothill Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer.
  • North American Warm Desert Lower Montane Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • North American Warm Desert Riparian Mesquite Bosque Summer and winter.
  • North American Warm Desert Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Hydric Hammock Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
  • Red River Large Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
  • Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Riparian Woodland and Shrubland Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • South Florida Pine Flatwoods Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loblolly-Hardwood Flatwoods Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer.
  • Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods Summer and winter, only within 120 m of water.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods Summer and winter.

All habitats

Seasons in Virginia

  • Year-round: nests here, in 8 of 133 counties and cities.
  • Migratory: does not nest here, in 90 of 133 counties and cities.

Also found in this habitat

Plants 503

Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.

Wildlife 253

Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in Virginia. Not sighting records.

NatureServe Explorer, CC BY 4.0. USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources