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Bird

Forster's Tern

Sterna forsteri

Passes through West Virginia on migration. Found in 26 of 55 counties, across 3 habitats.

Here
On migration
Nesting
Not known to nest here
Range
26 of 55 counties
Habitats
3

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
On migration
Nesting
Not known to nest here
Range
26 of 55 counties
Habitats
3
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 3

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

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.

SummerWinter

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.

WinterOpen Water (Fresh)

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

SummerBeside its main habitat.Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems
Other habitats in its models (46)

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 (29)
  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural Lakeshore Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Sea Island Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Xeric River Dune Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Summer.
  • Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Louisiana Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Summer.
  • South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • South Florida Shell Hash Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • Southeast Florida Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • Southwest Florida Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Texas Coastal Bend Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Upper Texas Coast Beach Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
Northeast (2)
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh Summer and winter.
Land cover and other classes (15)
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • Barren Land Summer and winter, beside its main habitat.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Marsh Systems Summer and winter.
  • Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer and winter.
  • Open Water (Brackish/Salt) Summer and winter.
  • South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer, beside its main habitat.
  • Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter.
  • Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune) Summer and winter.
  • Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer, beside its main habitat.

All habitats

Seasons in West Virginia

  • Migratory: does not nest here, in 26 of 55 counties.

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.

Disturbed and introduced wetlands

Birds 112

Plants 12

All of disturbed and introduced wetlands in West Virginia

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Birds 58

Plants 109

All of ponds, lakes and their shores in West Virginia

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Birds 92

Plants 303

All of floodplain and bottomland forests in West Virginia

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources