Bird
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Lives in West Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 55 counties, across 4 habitats.
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 4
At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- All year
- Nesting
- Nests here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 4
- 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 4
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 4
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.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Other habitats in its models (44)
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 (19)
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Summer.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Summer.
- Cumberland Sandstone Glade and Barrens Summer.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
- Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer.
- Florida Dry Prairie Summer and winter.
- Florida Panhandle Beach Vegetation Winter.
- Florida Peninsula Inland Scrub Winter.
- Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Summer.
- Ridge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland Summer.
- Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Summer.
- Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Catahoula Barrens Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Calcareous Prairie Winter.
Northeast (2)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale Summer.
Land cover and other classes (23)
- Developed, Low Intensity Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Summer and winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood 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.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Jackson Prairie and Woodland Summer and winter.
- Eastern Highland Rim Prairie and Barrens - Dry Modifier Summer and winter.
- Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer and winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
- Orchards Vineyards and Other High Structure Agriculture Winter.
- Recently Burned Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Forest Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Grassland Summer and winter.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Summer and winter.
- Recently Logged Areas Summer and winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune) Winter.
- Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Winter.
- The model distinguishes abandoned fields from actively planted row crops.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Year-round: nests 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 76
- Panicum gattingeriPanicum gattingeri
- Redtop Panic GrassPanicum rigidulum var. rigidulum
- Stalked PanicgrassPanicum rigidulum subsp. elongatum
- Beaked PanicgrassPanicum anceps
- Fall PanicgrassPanicum dichotomiflorum
- Old-witch PanicgrassPanicum capillare
- Panicum virgatum var. virgatumPanicum virgatum var. virgatum
- Philadelphia Panic GrassPanicum philadelphicum
- Redtop PanicgrassPanicum rigidulum
- SwitchgrassPanicum virgatum
- Wiry PanicgrassPanicum flexile
- Tufted HairgrassDeschampsia cespitosa
- Tufted HairgrassDeschampsia cespitosa subsp. glauca
- Digitaria serotinaDigitaria serotina
- Slender CrabgrassDigitaria filiformis
- Common Threeseed MercuryAcalypha rhomboidea
- Slender Threeseed MercuryAcalypha gracilens
- Virginia Threeseed MercuryAcalypha virginica
- Earlyleaf BromeBromus latiglumis
- Fringed BromeBromus ciliatus
- Hairy Woodland BromeBromus pubescens
- Field ThistleCirsium discolor
- Pasture ThistleCirsium pumilum
Plant genera in its diet records (17)
- Panicum Seeds. 7 diet records. 11 native plants in West Virginia
- Deschampsia Seeds. 4 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Digitaria Seeds. 3 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
- Acalypha Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Bromus Seeds. 2 diet records. 4 native plants in West Virginia
- Cirsium Seeds. 2 diet records. 4 native plants in West Virginia
- Danthonia Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Festuca Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Oxalis Seeds. 2 diet records. 5 native plants in West Virginia
- Poa Seeds. 2 diet records. 8 native plants in West Virginia
- Rumex Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
- Setaria Seeds. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in West Virginia
- Sorghastrum Seeds. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in West Virginia
- Avena 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Chloris Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
- Cyperus Seeds. 1 diet record. 16 native plants in West Virginia
- Euphorbia Seeds. 1 diet record. 10 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.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Birds 96
- Cape May WarblerDendroica tigrina
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Upland SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- Rock PigeonColumba livia
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- DunlinCalidris alpina
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus
Plants 905
- Pussy WillowSalix discolor
- Crooked-stem AsterSymphyotrichum prenanthoides
- Long Stalk AsterSymphyotrichum dumosum var. dumosum
- Canada LettuceLactuca canadensis
- Annual FleabaneErigeron annuus
- Bushy KnotweedPolygonum ramosissimum subsp. prolificum
- Carey's KnotweedPersicaria careyi
- Carolina Crane's-billGeranium carolinianum
- Common Evening-primroseOenothera biennis
- Cutleaf Evening-primroseOenothera laciniata
- Northern Evening-primroseOenothera parviflora
- Oakes Evening PrimroseOenothera oakesiana
All of roadsides, fields and disturbed ground in West Virginia
Forest edges and thickets
Birds 63
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- House FinchCarpodacus mexicanus
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Wilson's WarblerWilsonia pusilla
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Henslow's SparrowAmmodramus henslowii
- Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
- Palm WarblerDendroica palmarum
- Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
Plants 204
- Bristly BlackberryRubus setosus
- Rubus invisusRubus invisus
- Tall LarkspurDelphinium exaltatum
- Northeastern BindweedCalystegia sepium subsp. americana
- Canada PlumPrunus nigra
- ChokecherryPrunus virginiana var. virginiana
- Fire CherryPrunus pensylvanica
- Silky DogwoodCornus obliqua
- Giant SunflowerHelianthus giganteus
- Gray DogwoodCornus racemosa
- Buffalo CloverTrifolium reflexum
- Cutleaf GoldenrodSolidago arguta
Disturbed and introduced wetlands
Birds 120
- Northern WaterthrushSeiurus noveboracensis
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
- American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- DunlinCalidris alpina
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- King RailRallus elegans
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
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Field Sparrow Avoids forest interior
- 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