Bird
American Bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus
A summer resident that nests in West Virginia. Found in all 55 counties, across 3 habitats.
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 3

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 3
- Habitat models
- Summer, Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in West Virginia 3
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
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.
Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Other habitats in its models (55)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in West Virginia.
- Open Water (Brackish/Salt) Summer and winter.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune) Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Heathland and Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Winter.
- Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale Winter.
- Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- South Texas Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- Recently Logged Areas Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Recently Burned Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Recently Burned Forest Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Recently Burned Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Winter, only within 500 m of water.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Winter.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural Lakeshore Summer and winter.
- South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Winter.
- Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Marsh Systems Winter.
- Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland Winter.
- South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
- South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 41 of 55 counties.
- Summer: nests here, in 33 of 55 counties.
Also found in this habitat
Wildlife 199
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in West Virginia. Not sighting records.
- American Black DuckAnas rubripes
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- American WigeonAnas americana
- Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticorax
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
- Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca
- Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceus
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- Northern ShovelerAnas clypeata
- Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
- Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
- Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopus
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- Tundra SwanCygnus columbianus
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 American Bittern
- 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)

























