Bird
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Lives in West Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 55 counties, across 11 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 11

At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 11
- 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 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.
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.
Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.
Sheltered, moist mountain hollows and lower slopes with deep, fertile soil.
Steep, sun-baked slopes of loose shale with sparse oaks and Virginia pine and their own endemic wildflowers. Linked only where the source names shale barrens; calcareous shale stays with the limestone glades.
Streams, rivers and their banks
Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.
Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.
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 (155)
Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in West Virginia.
- Developed, Low Intensity Year-round.
- Developed, Medium Intensity Year-round.
- Central and Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Limestone Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest-Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Juniper Modifier Year-round.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
- Ridge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland Year-round.
- Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
- Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- Ouachita Montane Oak Forest Year-round.
- North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest Year-round.
- North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Bluff Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loess Bluff Forest Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- South Florida Hardwood Hammock Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
- Southwest Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Year-round.
- Southeast Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Year-round.
- Central and South Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Chenier and Upper Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- Mississippi River Alluvial Plain Dry-Mesic Loess Slope Forest Year-round.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Year-round.
- East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Year-round.
- South Florida Pine Rockland Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Oak Dome and Hammock Year-round.
- Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Maritime Forest Year-round.
- Lower Mississippi River Dune Woodland and Forest Year-round.
- Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Year-round.
- Mississippi Delta Maritime Forest Year-round.
- Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest Year-round.
- Southern Crowley's Ridge Mesic Loess Slope Forest Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Mesic Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Ozark-Ouachita Mesic Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Mesic Slope Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Maritime Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Maritime Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Year-round.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Virginia/Pitch Pine Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest - Offsite Pine Modifier Year-round.
- Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Pine Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest - Pine modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland Year-round.
- Central Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens Year-round.
- Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Sandhill Oak and Shortleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- Northern Crowley's Ridge Sand Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood and Mixed Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Open Understory Modifier Year-round.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-Line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly 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.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly 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.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Year-round.
- Southern Appalachian Low Mountain Pine Forest Year-round.
- Northeastern Interior Pine Barrens Year-round.
- East-Central Texas Plains Pine Forest and Woodland Year-round.
- Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Bluestem Woodland Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
- North-Central Interior Oak Savanna Year-round.
- North-Central Oak Barrens Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Year-round.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Year-round.
- Cumberland Sandstone Glade and Barrens Year-round.
- Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland Year-round.
- Central Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Year-round.
- Western Great Plains Mesquite Woodland and Shrubland Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Year-round.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Treed Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Streamhead Seepage Swamp - Pocosin - and Baygall Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Tidal Wooded Swamp Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Year-round.
- South Florida Bayhead Swamp Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Year-round.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Year-round.
- South Florida Dwarf Cypress Savanna Year-round.
- Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Year-round.
- Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- South Florida Cypress Dome Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Cypress Dome Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Year-round.
- Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Year-round.
- Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Year-round.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Year-round.
- Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Year-round.
- Mississippi River Riparian Forest Year-round.
- Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Hydric Hammock Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Red River Large Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Year-round.
- Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Year-round.
- Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Plain Dry Flatwoods - Open Understory 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.
- South Florida Pine Flatwoods Year-round.
- Central Atlantic Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Year-round.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Wet Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Longleaf Pine Savanna and Flatwoods Year-round.
- Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Pine Flatwoods Year-round.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loblolly-Hardwood Flatwoods Year-round.
- South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine-Hardwood Flatwoods Year-round.
- North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Year-round.
- Lower Mississippi River Flatwoods Year-round.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Flatwoods Year-round.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Year-round: nests here, in all 55 counties.
Also found in this habitat
Plants 849
Plants named in NatureServe descriptions of these habitats that grow in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food.
- Round Leaf DogwoodCornus rugosa
- American BeechFagus grandifolia
- Canada Wood-nettleLaportea canadensis
- Northern SpicebushLindera benzoin
- False Solomon's-sealMaianthemum racemosum
- BlackgumNyssa sylvatica
- American Hop-hornbeamOstrya virginiana
- Virginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefolia
- Virginia PinePinus virginiana
- SassafrasSassafras albidum
- Poison-ivyToxicodendron radicans
- Hillside BlueberryVaccinium pallidum
- Striped MapleAcer pensylvanicum
- White SnakerootAgeratina altissima
- American Hog-peanutAmphicarpaea bracteata
- Great Indian-plantainArnoglossum reniforme
- Yellow BirchBetula alleghaniensis
- American HornbeamCarpinus caroliniana
- Red HickoryCarya ovalis
- American ChestnutCastanea dentata
- Eastern RedbudCercis canadensis
- Sweet-fernComptonia peregrina
- Glade SpurgeEuphorbia purpurea
- GalaxGalax urceolata
Wildlife 179
Other animals whose habitat models include the same habitats in West Virginia. Not sighting records.
- American GoldfinchCarduelis tristis
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
- Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Common RavenCorvus corax
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
- Northern FlickerColaptes auratus
- Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos
- Purple FinchCarpodacus purpureus
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula
- Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus
- Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolor
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
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 Downy Woodpecker
- 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)















































