Bird
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Lives in Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 133 counties and cities, across 18 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 18
At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 18
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Virginia 18
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 18
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Streams, rivers and their banks
Open sand of beaches, dunes and the hollows between them.
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.
Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.
Marshes along tidal rivers where the water is fresh but rises and falls with the tide.
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.
Salt-pruned forests and shrub thickets behind coastal dunes.
Wet, open, peaty mountain wetlands fed by seepage, often with sphagnum moss.
Dense evergreen shrub wetlands and bay forests on wet, acid peat of the Coastal Plain.
Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.
Coastal marshes flooded by salty or brackish tides.
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 (96)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Virginia. Those recorded in Virginia first, the rest by region.
Elsewhere in the South (56)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh 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.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Maritime Forest Summer and winter.
- Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Summer and winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
- Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Maritime Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Pine Forest and Woodland Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Winter.
- Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Winter.
- Mississippi Delta Maritime Forest Winter.
- Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Winter.
- Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Winter.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Winter.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Winter.
- Red River Large Floodplain Forest Winter.
- South Florida Bayhead Swamp Winter.
- South Florida Cypress Dome Winter.
- South Florida Dwarf Cypress Savanna Winter.
- South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Winter.
- South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Winter.
- South Florida Mangrove Swamp Winter.
- South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
- Southeast Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Summer and winter.
- Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Southern Blackland Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Cypress Dome Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer and winter.
- Southwest Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Winter.
- Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Southwestern Great Plains Canyon Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Calcareous Thornscrub Winter.
- Tamaulipan Mixed Deciduous Thornscrub Winter.
- Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Winter.
- Western Great Plains Mesquite Woodland and Shrubland Winter.
Northeast (1)
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale Summer and winter.
Midwest (4)
- Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Central Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Summer and winter.
West (1)
- Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat Summer and winter.
Land cover and other classes (34)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer and winter.
- Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
- Developed, Low Intensity 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 Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer and winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland 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.
- Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Winter.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Summer and 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.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Summer and winter.
- Tamaulipan Mesquite Upland Scrub Winter.
- Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
- Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
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 243
- Erect KnotweedPolygonum erectum
- Pleatleaf KnotweedPolygonum tenue
- Seabeach KnotweedPolygonum glaucum
- Redroot AmaranthAmaranthus retroflexus
- Saltmarsh Water-hempAmaranthus cannabinus
- Seabeach AmaranthAmaranthus pumilus
- Smooth PigweedAmaranthus hybridus
- Common RagweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- Giant RagweedAmbrosia trifida
- Appalachian Woodland SedgeCarex austrolucorum
- Awned SedgeCarex atherodes
- Bottlebrush SedgeCarex hystericina
- Carex bromoides subsp. bromoidesCarex bromoides subsp. bromoides
- Carex venusta var. venustaCarex venusta var. venusta
- Coupled SedgeCarex copulata
- Crawes SedgeCarex crawei
- Davis SedgeCarex davisii
- Dioecious SedgeCarex sterilis
- False Summer SedgeCarex aestivaliformis
- Inland SedgeCarex interior
- Juniper SedgeCarex juniperorum
- Lakebank SedgeCarex lacustris
- Necklace Spike SedgeCarex ormostachya
- Prairie SedgeCarex prairea
Plant genera in its diet records (36)
- Avena Seeds. 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Polygonum Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Triticum Seeds. 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Amaranthus Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Virginia
- Ambrosia Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Anthemis Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Brassica Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Calandrinia Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Carex Seeds. 1 diet record. 170 native plants in Virginia
- Centaurea Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Chenopodium Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Claytonia Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Croton Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Deinandra Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Digitaria Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Erodium Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Ficus Fruit. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Geranium Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Helianthus Seeds. 1 diet record. 10 native plants in Virginia
- Lamium Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Madia Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Phalaris Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Phleum Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Physocarpus Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Virginia
- Prunus Seeds. 1 diet record. 7 native plants in Virginia
- Rubus Fruit. 1 diet record. 9 native plants in Virginia
- Rumex Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Sambucus Fruit. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Setaria Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Silene Seeds. 1 diet record. 6 native plants in Virginia
- Solanum Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Virginia
- Sonchus Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Spergula Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in Virginia
- Stellaria Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Virginia
- Toxicodendron Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Virginia
- Tragopogon Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 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.
Song Sparrow uses many habitats in Virginia; these are its 3 most characteristic.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Birds 87
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
- Northern WaterthrushSeiurus noveboracensis
- GadwallAnas strepera
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- Black-throated Blue WarblerDendroica caerulescens
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Least BitternIxobrychus exilis
- Louisiana WaterthrushSeiurus motacilla
Plants 381
- Elliott's BlueberryVaccinium elliottii
- Possumhaw HollyIlex decidua
- Cherrybark OakQuercus pagoda
- Appalachian Orange ConeflowerRudbeckia fulgida var. umbrosa
- Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata
- Southern Shagbark HickoryCarya carolinae-septentrionalis
- Spreading SedgeCarex laxiculmis
- Louisiana SedgeCarex louisianica
- Common Cup-plantSilphium perfoliatum
- Smooth Hedge-nettleStachys tenuifolia
- Virginia Cup-plantSilphium connatum
- Coville's PhaceliaPhacelia covillei
Swamps
Birds 83
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
- Eurasian WigeonAnas penelope
- King RailRallus elegans
- Northern WaterthrushSeiurus noveboracensis
- Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
- RedheadAythya americana
- Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
- Black RailLaterallus jamaicensis
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
Plants 318
- Dense-flower SmartweedPersicaria densiflora
- Carolina AshFraxinus caroliniana
- Water HickoryCarya aquatica
- Bent SedgeCarex styloflexa
- Cypress-swamp SedgeCarex joorii
- Fringed SedgeCarex crinita
- Ravenfoot SedgeCarex crus-corvi
- Weak Stellate SedgeCarex seorsa
- Swamp ButtercupRanunculus septentrionalis
- Drooping BulrushScirpus lineatus
- Shield Marsh-pennywortHydrocotyle verticillata
- Spreading BulrushScirpus divaricatus
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Birds 97
- 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
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Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Song 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)
- Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab) (CC0 1.0), diet records by plant genus