Bird
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
A summer resident that nests in West Virginia. Found in all 55 counties, across 11 habitats.
- Here
- Summer
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 11

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Summer
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 11
- 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 11
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
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.
Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.
Forests between dry and moist, often oak-hickory on slopes.
Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.
Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains.
Sheltered, moist mountain hollows and lower slopes with deep, fertile soil.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Cool, evergreen forests of red spruce and Fraser fir on the highest mountains.
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 (105)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in West Virginia.
- Developed, Low Intensity Summer and winter.
- Central and Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Limestone Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest-Hardwood Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Juniper Modifier Winter.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer and winter.
- Ridge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Winter.
- Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
- North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland Summer.
- North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland Summer.
- Ouachita Montane Oak Forest Winter.
- North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest Summer.
- North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest Summer.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Bluff Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loess Bluff Forest Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Winter.
- South Florida Hardwood Hammock Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Winter.
- Southwest Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Winter.
- Southeast Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Winter.
- Central and South Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Winter.
- Mississippi River Alluvial Plain Dry-Mesic Loess Slope Forest Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Winter.
- South Florida Pine Rockland Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Oak Dome and Hammock Winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Maritime Forest Winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Dune Woodland and Forest Winter.
- Mississippi Delta Maritime Forest Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Mesic Hardwood Forest Summer and winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Mesic Hardwood Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Mesic Slope Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Maritime Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Maritime Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Hardwood Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Winter.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Virginia/Pitch Pine Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine Modifier Summer and winter.
- Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Pine Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest - Pine modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Summer and winter.
- Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland Summer and winter.
- Central Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens Summer.
- Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest Winter.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest Summer and winter.
- Northern Crowley's Ridge Sand Forest Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood and Mixed Forest Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-Line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Winter.
- Southern Appalachian Low Mountain Pine Forest Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Pine Forest and Woodland Winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Bluestem Woodland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- Florida Peninsula Inland Scrub Winter.
- North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Summer.
- North-Central Oak Barrens Summer.
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Summer and winter.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Summer and winter.
- Cumberland Sandstone Glade and Barrens Summer and winter.
- Central Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens Summer.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer and winter.
- Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Summer.
- Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer.
- Recently Logged Areas Summer and winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration 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.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer and winter.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Summer and winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Red River Large Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Winter.
- South Florida Pine Flatwoods Winter.
- Central Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods Winter.
- The model treats open patches, forest edges and extensive shrub cover differently.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Summer: nests here, in all 55 counties.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 717
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
- Red MapleAcer rubrum
- Mountain LaurelKalmia latifolia
- Northern Red OakQuercus rubra
- Sweet BirchBetula lenta
- Box HuckleberryGaylussacia brachycera
- White OakQuercus alba
- Eastern HemlockTsuga canadensis
- Pignut HickoryCarya glabra
- Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata
- Mockernut HickoryCarya tomentosa
- White AshFraxinus americana
- SourwoodOxydendrum arboreum
- Eastern White PinePinus strobus
- Christmas FernPolystichum acrostichoides
- Scarlet OakQuercus coccinea
- Chestnut OakQuercus prinus
- Rosebay RhododendronRhododendron maximum
- Sugar MapleAcer saccharum
- Red HickoryCarya ovalis
- American ChestnutCastanea dentata
- Flowering DogwoodCornus florida
- Round Leaf DogwoodCornus rugosa
- Poverty OatgrassDanthonia spicata
- American BeechFagus grandifolia
Wildlife 197
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in West Virginia. Not sighting records.
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Common RavenCorvus corax
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
- Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis
- Eastern TowheePipilo erythrophthalmus
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
- Purple FinchCarpodacus purpureus
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula
- Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis
- Yellow-rumped WarblerDendroica coronata
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
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 Brown Thrasher Elevation 0 to 1,676 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)
















































