Bird
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
Passes through West Virginia on migration. Found in all 55 counties, across 3 habitats.
- Here
- On migration
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 3

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- On migration
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 3
- Habitat models
- 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.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.
Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.
Other habitats in its models (50)
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 (27)
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural Lakeshore Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Winter.
- Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Winter.
- Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Winter.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Winter.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Winter.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Winter.
Northeast (1)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh Winter.
Land cover and other classes (22)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Winter, only within 30 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Winter, only within 30 m of water.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
- Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Marsh Systems Winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Winter.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Winter.
- Open Water (Brackish/Salt) Winter.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Winter.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune) Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Winter.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Migratory: does not nest 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 68
- Sago PondweedStuckenia pectinata
- Broadleaf ArrowheadSagittaria latifolia
- Broad Leaf Arrow HeadSagittaria latifolia var. latifolia
- Delta ArrowheadSagittaria platyphylla
- Engelmann's ArrowheadSagittaria engelmanniana
- Grassy ArrowheadSagittaria graminea
- Longbeak ArrowheadSagittaria australis
- Common Three Square BulrushSchoenoplectus pungens var. pungens
- Torrey's Bulrush, Torrey's ThreesquareSchoenoplectus torreyi
- Common Three Square BulrushSchoenoplectus pungens
- Hardstem BulrushSchoenoplectus acutus
- Olney's ThreesquareSchoenoplectus americanus
- Softstem BulrushSchoenoplectus tabernaemontani
- Flatstem PondweedPotamogeton zosteriformis
- Grassleaf PondweedPotamogeton gramineus
- Oakes' pondweedPotamogeton oakesianus
- Potamogeton foliosus subsp. foliosusPotamogeton foliosus subsp. foliosus
- Potamogeton pusillus subsp. pusillusPotamogeton pusillus subsp. pusillus
- Small pondweedPotamogeton pusillus subsp. tenuissimus
- Spiral Pondweed, Northern Snailseed PondweedPotamogeton spirillus
- Floating PondweedPotamogeton natans
- Illinois PondweedPotamogeton illinoensis
- Largeleaf PondweedPotamogeton amplifolius
- Leafy PondweedPotamogeton foliosus
Plant genera in its diet records (11)
- Stuckenia Roots and leaves. 8 diet records. 1 native plant in West Virginia
- Sagittaria Roots. 5 diet records. 6 native plants in West Virginia
- Schoenoplectus Seeds and roots. 3 diet records. 6 native plants in West Virginia
- Potamogeton Seeds. 2 diet records. 18 native plants in West Virginia
- Vallisneria Flowers and leaves. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in West Virginia
- Chara Leaves. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Cyperus Roots. 1 diet record. 16 native plants in West Virginia
- Lemna Leaves. 1 diet record. 5 native plants in West Virginia
- Polygonum Seeds. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in West Virginia
- Ruppia 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Scirpus Seeds. 1 diet record. 11 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.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Birds 92
- Blue-winged TealAnas discors
- Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus
- Virginia RailRallus limicola
- GadwallAnas strepera
- Green HeronButorides virescens
- Least BitternIxobrychus exilis
- Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea
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
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Birds 112
- Northern WaterthrushSeiurus noveboracensis
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- DunlinCalidris alpina
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla
Plants 12
- Slender FimbryFimbristylis autumnalis
- Blue MistflowerConoclinium coelestinum
- False DaisyEclipta prostrata
- Intermediate Spike RushEleocharis intermedia
- Blunt Spike RushEleocharis obtusa
- Bristly SedgeCarex comosa
- Sensitive FernOnoclea sensibilis
- Heart Leaf WillowSalix eriocephala
- Cuscuta gronovii var. gronoviiCuscuta gronovii var. gronovii
- European Gray WillowSalix cinerea
- Ricefield FlatsedgeCyperus iria
- White WillowSalix alba
Ponds, lakes and their shores
Birds 58
- BuffleheadBucephala albeola
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Eurasian WigeonAnas penelope
- Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalis
- RedheadAythya americana
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Blue-winged TealAnas discors
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
Plants 109
- Stiff Yellow FlaxLinum medium
- Northeastern BulrushScirpus ancistrochaetus
- Sago PondweedStuckenia pectinata
- Common BladderwortUtricularia macrorhiza
- Horned PondweedZannichellia palustris
- Coastal Plain WillowSalix caroliniana
- Northern St. John's-wortHypericum boreale
- Southern Marsh St. John's-wortTriadenum tubulosum
- White Water CrowfootRanunculus longirostris
- Engelmann's ArrowheadSagittaria engelmanniana
- Grassy ArrowheadSagittaria graminea
- Whiteroot RushJuncus brachycarpus
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Canvasback
- 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
























































