Bird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Lives in West Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 55 counties, across 8 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 8
At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 8
- Habitat models
- Year-round
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in West Virginia 8
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 8
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.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Streams, rivers and their banks
Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.
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 (52)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in West Virginia. Those recorded in West Virginia first, the rest by region.
Elsewhere in the South (24)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Central Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens Year-round.
- Central Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens Year-round.
- Cumberland Sandstone Glade and Barrens Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Limestone Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Florida Dry Prairie Year-round.
- Florida Peninsula Inland Scrub Year-round.
- Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Year-round.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Year-round.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Year-round.
- Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Year-round.
- Red River Large Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Ridge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland Year-round.
- South Florida Hardwood Hammock Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Year-round.
- Western Great Plains Mesquite Woodland and Shrubland Year-round.
Midwest (2)
- Central Mixedgrass Prairie Year-round.
- North-Central Oak Barrens Year-round.
Land cover and other classes (26)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- Developed, Low Intensity Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Year-round.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Year-round.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Year-round.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Year-round.
- Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Year-round.
- Orchards Vineyards and Other High Structure Agriculture Year-round.
- Recently Burned Year-round.
- Recently Burned Forest Year-round.
- Recently Burned Grassland Year-round.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Year-round.
- Recently Logged Areas Year-round.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Year-round.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Year-round: nests here, in all 55 counties.
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 277
- Carolina FoxtailAlopecurus carolinianus
- Short-awn FoxtailAlopecurus aequalis
- Short-awn Foxtail GrassAlopecurus aequalis var. aequalis
- Common RagweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- Giant RagweedAmbrosia trifida
- Mapleleaf GoosefootChenopodium simplex
- Missouri Lambs QuartersChenopodium album var. missouriense
- Lambs QuartersChenopodium album
- Standleys GoosefootChenopodium standleyanum
- Rough-fruit AmaranthAmaranthus tuberculatus
- Smooth PigweedAmaranthus hybridus
- Woodland SunflowerHelianthus divaricatus
- Helianthus debilis subsp. cucumerifoliusHelianthus debilis subsp. cucumerifolius
- Helianthus occidentalis subsp. occidentalisHelianthus occidentalis subsp. occidentalis
- Paleleaf SunflowerHelianthus strumosus
- Beach SunflowerHelianthus debilis
- Giant SunflowerHelianthus giganteus
- Hairy SunflowerHelianthus hirsutus
- Jerusalem ArtichokeHelianthus tuberosus
- Prairie SunflowerHelianthus petiolaris
- Small Wood SunflowerHelianthus microcephalus
- Smooth SunflowerHelianthus laevigatus
- Thinleaf SunflowerHelianthus decapetalus
- Western SunflowerHelianthus occidentalis
Plant genera in its diet records (31)
- Sorghum 12 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Zea 6 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Alopecurus 5 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Ambrosia 5 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Chenopodium 5 diet records. 4 native plants in West Virginia
- Murdannia 5 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Amaranthus 4 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Helianthus 4 diet records. 13 native plants in West Virginia
- Paspalum 4 diet records. 5 native plants in West Virginia
- Panicum 3 diet records. 11 native plants in West Virginia
- Avena 2 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Digitaria 2 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Eleusine 2 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Polygonum 2 diet records. 4 native plants in West Virginia
- Setaria 2 diet records. 1 native plant in West Virginia
- Sporobolus 2 diet records. 6 native plants in West Virginia
- Triticum 2 diet records. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Acalypha 1 diet record. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Andropogon 1 diet record. 5 native plants in West Virginia
- Barbarea 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Carex 1 diet record. 161 native plants in West Virginia
- Cyperus 1 diet record. 16 native plants in West Virginia
- Echinochloa 1 diet record. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Hedeoma 1 diet record. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Lespedeza 1 diet record. 9 native plants in West Virginia
- Oryza 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Scirpus 1 diet record. 11 native plants in West Virginia
- Secale 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Solanum 1 diet record. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Vitis 1 diet record. 9 native plants in West Virginia
- Xanthium 1 diet record. 2 native plants in West Virginia
Also found in its main habitats
Its main habitats in West 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.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Birds 96
- Cape May WarblerDendroica tigrina
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Upland SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- DunlinCalidris alpina
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Plants 905
- Pussy WillowSalix discolor
- Crooked-stem AsterSymphyotrichum prenanthoides
- Long Stalk AsterSymphyotrichum dumosum var. dumosum
- Canada LettuceLactuca canadensis
- Annual FleabaneErigeron annuus
- Bushy KnotweedPolygonum ramosissimum subsp. prolificum
- Carey's KnotweedPersicaria careyi
- Carolina Crane's-billGeranium carolinianum
- Common Evening-primroseOenothera biennis
- Cutleaf Evening-primroseOenothera laciniata
- Northern Evening-primroseOenothera parviflora
- Oakes Evening PrimroseOenothera oakesiana
All of roadsides, fields and disturbed ground in West Virginia
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Birds 103
- Blue-winged TealAnas discors
- CanvasbackAythya valisineria
- GadwallAnas strepera
- Least BitternIxobrychus exilis
- Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus
- Virginia RailRallus limicola
Plants 303
- Peach Leaf WillowSalix amygdaloides
- White Panicled Aster; Eastern Lined AsterSymphyotrichum lanceolatum var. latifolium
- Rudbeckia fulgida var. spathulataRudbeckia fulgida var. spathulata
- Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata
- Spreading SedgeCarex laxiculmis
- Blunt Broom SedgeCarex tribuloides
- Mountain SilverbellHalesia carolina
- Smooth Hedge-nettleStachys tenuifolia
- Common Cup-plantSilphium perfoliatum
- Camphor PlucheaPluchea camphorata
- Virginia Cup-plantSilphium perfoliatum var. connatum
- Heartleaf NettleUrtica chamaedryoides
Forest edges and thickets
Birds 63
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- House FinchCarpodacus mexicanus
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Wilson's WarblerWilsonia pusilla
- Field SparrowSpizella pusilla
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Henslow's SparrowAmmodramus henslowii
- Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
- Palm WarblerDendroica palmarum
- Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
Plants 204
- Bristly BlackberryRubus setosus
- Rubus invisusRubus invisus
- Tall LarkspurDelphinium exaltatum
- Northeastern BindweedCalystegia sepium subsp. americana
- Canada PlumPrunus nigra
- ChokecherryPrunus virginiana var. virginiana
- Fire CherryPrunus pensylvanica
- Silky DogwoodCornus obliqua
- Giant SunflowerHelianthus giganteus
- Gray DogwoodCornus racemosa
- Buffalo CloverTrifolium reflexum
- Cutleaf GoldenrodSolidago arguta
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP year-round habitat model for Brown-headed Cowbird Elevation sea level to 1,066 m
- 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