Bird
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Lives in West Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 55 counties, across 12 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 12

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 12
- 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 12
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.
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.
Shady, evergreen forests of eastern or Carolina hemlock, often along rocky mountain streams and in gorges.
Forests between dry and moist, often oak-hickory on slopes.
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 (121)
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 (65)
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Maritime Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood and Mixed Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Maritime Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Tidal Wooded Swamp Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Xeric River Dune Year-round.
- Central and Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Central Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Year-round.
- Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Limestone Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Maritime Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Bluff Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Mesic Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loblolly-Hardwood Flatwoods Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loess Bluff Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Mesic Slope Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Year-round.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Year-round.
- Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Year-round.
- Florida Peninsula Inland Scrub Year-round.
- Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Year-round.
- Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Year-round.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Year-round.
- Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Year-round.
- South Florida Bayhead Swamp Year-round.
- South Florida Cypress Dome Year-round.
- South Florida Dwarf Cypress Savanna Year-round.
- South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Year-round.
- South Florida Hardwood Hammock Year-round.
- South Florida Mangrove Swamp Year-round.
- South Florida Pine Flatwoods Year-round.
- South Florida Pine Rockland Year-round.
- South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Year-round.
- Southeast Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Year-round.
- Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland Year-round.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Year-round.
- Southern Appalachian Low Mountain Pine Forest Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Hydric Hammock Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Cypress Dome Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Oak Dome and Hammock Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Year-round.
- Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Year-round.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest Year-round.
- Southwest Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Year-round.
Northeast (3)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Year-round.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry Hardwood Forest Year-round.
Land cover and other classes (53)
- Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Pine Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-Line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Streamhead Seepage Swamp - Pocosin - and Baygall Year-round.
- Developed, Low Intensity Year-round.
- Developed, Medium Intensity Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Dry Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier 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.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest - Offsite Pine Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Juniper Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Year-round.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Year-round.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Year-round.
- Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Virginia/Pitch Pine Modifier Year-round.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest-Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Year-round.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest - Pine modifier Year-round.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Year-round: nests here, in all 55 counties.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 705
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
- Small Whorled PogoniaIsotria medeoloides
- Purple TwaybladeLiparis liliifolia
- SweetgumLiquidambar styraciflua
- Whorled LoosestrifeLysimachia quadrifolia
- Slender BunchflowerMelanthium latifolium
- MinniebushMenziesia pilosa
- Partridge-berryMitchella repens
- Sweet PinesapMonotropsis odorata
- BlackgumNyssa sylvatica
- Virginia PinePinus virginiana
- Black Seed Rice GrassPiptatherum racemosum
- Greater Purple Fringed OrchidPlatanthera grandiflora
- Lesser Purple Fringed OrchidPlatanthera psycodes
- MayapplePodophyllum peltatum
- Nodding Rattlesnake-rootPrenanthes crepidinea
- Yellow MandarinProsartes lanuginosa
- Spotted MandarinProsartes maculata
- Pteridium aquilinumPteridium aquilinum
- Beadle's Mountain-mintPycnanthemum beadlei
- American WintergreenPyrola americana
- Southern Red OakQuercus falcata
- Chinquapin OakQuercus muehlenbergii
- Black OakQuercus velutina
- Appalachian GooseberryRibes rotundifolium
Wildlife 212
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in West Virginia. Not sighting records.
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- 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
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Black-and-White WarblerMniotilta varia
- Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
- Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus
- Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
NatureServe Explorer, CC BY 4.0. USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP year-round habitat model for Common Grackle Elevation sea level to 1,371 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)










































