Habitat in West Virginia
Mountain balds
Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains. Schafale
- Plants
- 65
- Birds
- 67
Plants
Plants that grow wild in this habitat in West Virginia. Not a planting list.
Most characteristic plants of this habitat 65
Natives first, plants found in fewer other habitats first.
- Pinebarren Death-camasStenanthium leimanthoides
- Eastern HawthornCrataegus macrosperma
- Appalachian GooseberryRibes rotundifolium
- Quaking AspenPopulus tremuloides
- Pennsylvania SedgeCarex pensylvanica
- Big BluestemAndropogon gerardi
- Fringed BromeBromus ciliatus
- Thymeleaf BluetHoustonia serpyllifolia
- Daisyleaf MoonwortBotrychium matricariifolium
- Prairie WillowSalix humilis
- Dotted HawthornCrataegus punctata
- Red SprucePicea rubens
- Cow-parsnipHeracleum maximum
- Carolina Tassel-rueTrautvetteria caroliniensis
- Hay SedgeCarex argyrantha
- Pink TurtleheadChelone lyonii
- Meadow HawkweedHieracium caespitosum
Wildlife
Animals whose habitat model includes this habitat in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
Most characteristic birds of this habitat 30
Ranked by how much of their habitat model this habitat is.
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorus
- Horned LarkEremophila alpestris
- KilldeerCharadrius vociferus
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopus
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianus
- Long-eared OwlAsio otus
- American Tree SparrowSpizella arborea
- Canada WarblerWilsonia canadensis
- Brown ThrasherToxostoma rufum
- Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe
- Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius
- White-eyed VireoVireo griseus
- Eurasian Collared-doveStreptopelia decaocto
- Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Chestnut-sided WarblerDendroica pensylvanica
- Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis
- Olive-sided FlycatcherContopus cooperi
- Orange-crowned WarblerVermivora celata
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis
Near water in this habitat 5
These use it only close to water, such as stream banks for nesting.
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- Rusty BlackbirdEuphagus carolinus
- Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
Widespread birds also seen here (32)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- Alder Flycatcher
- American Crow
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Raven
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Towhee
- European Starling
- Fox Sparrow
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Great Horned Owl
- Least Flycatcher
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Purple Finch
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Turkey Vulture
- Wild Turkey
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Sources
- Schafale, Guide to the Natural Communities of North Carolina, Fourth Approximation (NC Natural Heritage Program, 2012) habitat description
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition, habitat text phone app
- NC Parks species accounts
- USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information System (reviewed notes)
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS Gap Analysis Project range maps (2001)
- NatureServe Explorer ecological systems (CC BY 4.0)
Habitat classes are filed under these habitat types by reviewed matches; descriptions are short glosses.

















































