Bird
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Lives in Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 133 counties and cities, across 17 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 17

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 133 counties and cities
- Habitats
- 17
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in Virginia 17
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Granite and other acidic rock outcrops

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.
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.
Other habitats in its models (101)
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 and winter.
Elsewhere in the South (54)
- 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 Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Xeric River Dune Winter.
- Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
- Central Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- Central Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Floodplain Forest 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.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Florida Dry Prairie Winter.
- Florida Panhandle Beach Vegetation Winter.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Dune Woodland and Forest Winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods Winter.
- Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Winter.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- Red River Large Floodplain Forest Summer and 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 Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Winter.
- Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Winter.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Winter.
Northeast (2)
- Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer.
Midwest (8)
- Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- Central Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- North-Central Oak Barrens Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Summer and winter.
Land cover and other classes (36)
- Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Pine Modifier Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Winter.
- Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer.
- Developed, Low Intensity Summer and 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 Jackson Prairie and Woodland 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.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Winter.
- Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Winter.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer and winter.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Open Understory Modifier 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.
- Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Forest Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Grassland Summer and winter.
- Recently Logged Areas Summer, only within 250 m of water.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter.
- Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Winter.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Winter.
Seasons in Virginia
- Year-round: nests here, in 53 of 133 counties and cities.
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 15 of 133 counties and cities.
- Summer: nests here, in 89 of 133 counties and cities.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 693
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
- Smooth RockcressBorodinia laevigata
- Sea OxeyeBorrichia frutescens
- Allegheny BrookfoamBoykinia aconitifolia
- Bearded ShorthuskBrachyelytrum erectum
- SweetshrubCalycanthus floridus
- Southern HarebellCampanula divaricata
- American HarebellCampanula rotundifolia
- Blue Ridge BittercressCardamine flagellifera
- American BittercressCardamine rotundifolia
- Eastern Narrowleaf SedgeCarex amphibola
- Short Fringed SedgeCarex crinita var. brevicrinis
- Nodding SedgeCarex gynandra
- James's SedgeCarex jamesii
- Cypress-swamp SedgeCarex joorii
- Juniper SedgeCarex juniperorum
- Smooth-sheath SedgeCarex laevivaginata
- Southern Long SedgeCarex lonchocarpa
- Sharp-scale SedgeCarex oxylepis
- Plantainleaf SedgeCarex plantaginea
- Necklace SedgeCarex projecta
- Eastern Star SedgeCarex radiata
- Beaked SedgeCarex schweinitzii
- Pointed Broom SedgeCarex scoparia
- Weak Stellate SedgeCarex seorsa
Wildlife 264
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in Virginia. Not sighting records.
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
- Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
- Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
- Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- American Black DuckAnas rubripes
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticorax
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
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 Tree Swallow 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)










































