Bird
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
A winter visitor to West Virginia, found in all 55 counties and 13 habitats.
- Here
- Winter and on migration
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 13
At a glance
- Group
- Birds
- Here
- Winter and on migration
- Nesting
- Not known to nest here
- Range
- All 55 counties
- Habitats
- 13
- Habitat models
- Winter
Where it lives
The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.
Habitats in West Virginia 13
Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 13
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.
Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains.
Sheltered, moist mountain hollows and lower slopes with deep, fertile soil.
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.
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.
Cool, evergreen forests of red spruce and Fraser fir on the highest mountains.
Other habitats in its models (75)
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 (43)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Maritime Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood and Mixed Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Maritime Forest Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Woodland Winter.
- Central and South Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Winter.
- Central and Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Limestone Forest Winter, beside its main habitat.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Maritime Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Bluff Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Mesic Hardwood Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Loess Bluff Forest Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Mesic Slope Forest Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Floodplain Forest Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Pine Forest and Woodland Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
- East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Winter.
- Florida Peninsula Inland Scrub Winter.
- Lower Mississippi River Dune Woodland and Forest Winter.
- Mississippi Delta Maritime Forest Winter.
- Mississippi River Alluvial Plain Dry-Mesic Loess Slope Forest Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland Winter.
- Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Ridge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland Winter.
- South Florida Hardwood Hammock Winter.
- South Texas Lomas Winter.
- Southeast Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland Winter.
- Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Dry Upland Hardwood Forest Winter.
- Southern Coastal Plain Oak Dome and Hammock Winter.
- Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Winter.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Southwest Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Winter, beside its main habitat.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Chenier and Upper Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest Winter, beside its main habitat.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Winter.
- West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest and Woodland Winter.
Northeast (3)
- Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland Winter.
- North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Winter.
- Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry Hardwood Forest Winter.
Midwest (3)
- North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest Winter, beside its main habitat.
- North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland Winter.
- North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland Winter.
Land cover and other classes (26)
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-Line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Loblolly Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Offsite Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Fall-line Sandhills Longleaf Pine Woodland - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Winter.
- Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Black Belt Calcareous Prairie and Woodland - Woodland Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Interior Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest - Hardwood Modifier Winter, beside its main habitat.
- 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 - Scrub/Shrub Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- East Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Loess Plain Oak-Hickory Upland - Juniper Modifier Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Winter.
- Florida Longleaf Pine Sandhill - Scrub/Shrub Understory Modifier Winter.
- Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Winter.
- Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Recently Burned Winter.
- Recently Burned Forest Winter.
- Recently Burned Shrubland Winter.
- Recently Logged Areas Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Hardwood Modifier Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine Modifier Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Mixed Modifier Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Winter.
- Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
- Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Winter, beside its main habitat.
- Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest - Pine modifier Winter, beside its main habitat.
Seasons in West Virginia
- Migratory: does not nest here, in 1 of 55 counties.
- Winter: does not nest here, in all 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.
Fox Sparrow uses many habitats in West Virginia; these are its 3 most characteristic.
Dry forests and woodlands
Birds 89
- Pine WarblerDendroica pinus
- Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
- White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- Prairie WarblerDendroica discolor
- Black-throated Green WarblerDendroica virens
- Blackburnian WarblerDendroica fusca
- Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- American Tree SparrowSpizella arborea
- Barred OwlStrix varia
Plants 192
- Eastern Winged SumacRhus copallinum var. latifolia
- American ChestnutCastanea dentata
- Godfrey's ThoroughwortEupatorium godfreyanum
- White ThoroughwortEupatorium album
- McCree's MilkpeaGalactia volubilis
- Leavenworth's SedgeCarex leavenworthii
- Southern LoosestrifeLysimachia tonsa
- Carolina LilyLilium michauxii
- Tall BellflowerCampanulastrum americanum
- Perfoliate BellwortUvularia perfoliata
- Green Pyrola, Green-flowered WintergreenPyrola chlorantha
- BeechdropsEpifagus virginiana
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Birds 104
- Blue-winged TealAnas discors
- CanvasbackAythya valisineria
- GadwallAnas strepera
- Least BitternIxobrychus exilis
- Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus
- Virginia RailRallus limicola
Plants 303
- Peach Leaf WillowSalix amygdaloides
- White Panicled Aster; Eastern Lined AsterSymphyotrichum lanceolatum var. latifolium
- Rudbeckia fulgida var. spathulataRudbeckia fulgida var. spathulata
- Shagbark HickoryCarya ovata
- Spreading SedgeCarex laxiculmis
- Blunt Broom SedgeCarex tribuloides
- Mountain SilverbellHalesia carolina
- Smooth Hedge-nettleStachys tenuifolia
- Common Cup-plantSilphium perfoliatum
- Camphor PlucheaPluchea camphorata
- Virginia Cup-plantSilphium perfoliatum var. connatum
- Heartleaf NettleUrtica chamaedryoides
Forest edges and thickets
Birds 64
- Hoary RedpollCarduelis hornemanni
- House FinchCarpodacus mexicanus
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Wilson's WarblerWilsonia pusilla
- Field SparrowSpizella pusilla
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Henslow's SparrowAmmodramus henslowii
- Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
- Palm WarblerDendroica palmarum
- Ring-necked PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
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
Sources
- USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models (2001)
- USGS GAP winter habitat model for Fox Sparrow
- 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)