Bird
Cliff Swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
A summer resident that nests in West Virginia. Found in all 55 counties, across 8 habitats.
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 8
At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Summer and on migration
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 8
- Habitat models
- Summer
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.
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.
Streams, rivers and their banks
Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.
Granite and other acidic rock outcrops
Bare or thin-soil rock on granite, gneiss, sandstone, quartzite and similar acidic rock, including granite flatrocks and domes.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Other habitats in its models (69)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in West Virginia. Those recorded in West Virginia first, the rest by region.
In West Virginia 1
- North-Central Appalachian Circumneutral Cliff and Talus Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
Elsewhere in the South (33)
- Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Summer.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Summer.
- Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Summer.
- Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Summer.
- Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Summer.
- Red River Large Floodplain Forest Summer.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer.
- Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Summer.
- Southern Appalachian Montane Cliff Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Appalachian Rocky Summit Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Blackland Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Piedmont Cliff Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer.
- Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Summer.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Flatwoods Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Summer.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Summer.
Northeast (3)
- North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer.
- Northeastern Interior Pine Barrens Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest Summer.
Midwest (8)
- Central Interior Acidic Cliff and Talus Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Central Interior Calcareous Cliff and Talus Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Central Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- North-Central Oak Barrens Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
Land cover and other classes (24)
- Arkansas Valley Prairie and Woodland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer.
- Developed, Low Intensity Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Developed, Medium Intensity Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer.
- Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer.
- Recently Burned Grassland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Summer, only within 2,000 m of water.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer.
- Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer.
- Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Summer.
- Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Summer.
- Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Summer.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune) Summer.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer.
- Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 17 of 55 counties.
- Summer: nests here, in all 55 counties.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 547
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
- Sharp Scale Spike Rush; Flat Stem Spike RushEleocharis compressa var. compressa
- Riverbank Wild-ryeElymus riparius
- Virginia Wild-ryeElymus virginicus
- Late-flowering ThoroughwortEupatorium serotinum
- Hollow Joe-pye-weedEutrochium fistulosum
- American BeechFagus grandifolia
- Green AshFraxinus pennsylvanica
- Licorice BedstrawGalium circaezans
- Black HuckleberryGaylussacia baccata
- Box HuckleberryGaylussacia brachycera
- Appalachian Oak-fernGymnocarpium appalachianum
- American Witch-hazelHamamelis virginiana
- Sweet Indian-plantainHasteola suaveolens
- Paleleaf SunflowerHelianthus strumosus
- Smooth OxeyeHeliopsis helianthoides
- Water StargrassHeteranthera dubia
- White AlumrootHeuchera alba
- Littleflower AlumrootHeuchera parviflora
- Rock FirmossHuperzia porophila
- American Water-pennywortHydrocotyle americana
- Bushy St. John's-wortHypericum densiflorum
- Shrubby St. John's-wortHypericum prolificum
- Pale JewelweedImpatiens pallida
- ButternutJuglans cinerea
Wildlife 214
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in West Virginia. Not sighting records.
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticorax
- Common RavenCorvus corax
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- American Black DuckAnas rubripes
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- American KestrelFalco sparverius
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus
- Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
- Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianus
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- Chestnut-sided WarblerDendroica pensylvanica
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
NatureServe Explorer, CC BY 4.0. USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP summer habitat model for Cliff Swallow Fresh water only
- 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)