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Bird

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Lives in West Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 55 counties, across 6 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 55 counties
Habitats
6

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
All 55 counties
Habitats
6
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 6

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

1 of 6

Swamps

The Chickahominy Swamp LCCN2004661405
SummerWinterCentral Interior and Appalachian Swamp SystemsWilliam McIlvaine, The Chickahominy Swamp (1862): wind-tossed swamp trees standing in dark water under a storm. Shown: Chickahominy Swamp, Virginia, a neighboring state.The Chickahominy Swamp LCCN2004661405, William McIlvaine (1813-1867), 1862. Public domain. Source record.

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.

Winter

Floodplain and bottomland forests

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

SummerWinterSouth-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Forest Modifier; Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems; South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain

Ponds, lakes and their shores

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

SummerWinterOpen Water (Fresh)

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

SummerWinterSouth-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

WinterOnly within 250 m of water.Developed, Open Space; Cultivated Cropland
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 (38)
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural Lakeshore Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
  • Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Winter.
  • Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Savanna and Wet Prairie Winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
  • East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Winter.
  • Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Summer.
  • Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Summer and winter.
  • Mississippi River Riparian Forest Summer.
  • South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Winter.
  • South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Winter.
  • South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
  • South-Central Interior / Upper Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Summer.
  • Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Hydric Hammock Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Cypress Dome Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Nepheline Syenite Glade Winter, only within 250 m of water.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Northern Calcareous Prairie Winter, only within 250 m of water.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer and winter.
  • West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Floodplain Summer.
Northeast (2)
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
  • North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods Summer and winter.
Midwest (2)
  • Western Great Plains Open Freshwater Depression Wetland Summer.
  • Western Great Plains Saline Depression Wetland Summer.
Land cover and other classes (33)
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier Summer.
  • Atlantic Coastal Plain Streamhead Seepage Swamp - Pocosin - and Baygall Summer and winter.
  • Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
  • Developed, Low Intensity Winter, beside its main habitat.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
  • East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
  • Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
  • Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer and winter.
  • Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Marsh Systems Summer and winter.
  • Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Summer.
  • Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
  • Open Water (Aquaculture) Summer and winter.
  • South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Summer.
  • Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Winter.
  • Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Summer.
  • Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Winter.
  • Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
  • Unconsolidated Shore Summer and winter.
  • Unconsolidated Shore (Beach/Dune) Winter.
  • Unconsolidated Shore (Lake/River/Pond) Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
  • Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.

All habitats

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 268

Plant genera in its diet records (24)
  • Potamogeton Seeds and leaves. 9 diet records. 18 native plants in West Virginia
  • Carex Seeds. 5 diet records. 161 native plants in West Virginia
  • Lemna 3 diet records. 5 native plants in West Virginia
  • Ceratophyllum Fruit and seeds. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in West Virginia
  • Echinochloa Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
  • Myriophyllum Seeds. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in West Virginia
  • Polygonum Seeds. 2 diet records. 4 native plants in West Virginia
  • Sagittaria Seeds and roots. 2 diet records. 6 native plants in West Virginia
  • Schoenoplectus Seeds. 2 diet records. 6 native plants in West Virginia
  • Scirpus Seeds. 2 diet records. 11 native plants in West Virginia
  • Sparganium Seeds. 2 diet records. 4 native plants in West Virginia
  • Stuckenia Seeds and roots. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in West Virginia
  • Beckmannia Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
  • Bidens Seeds. 1 diet record. 10 native plants in West Virginia
  • Brasenia Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in West Virginia
  • Chara 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
  • Hippuris Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
  • Najas Seeds. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in West Virginia
  • Persicaria Seeds. 1 diet record. 10 native plants in West Virginia
  • Quercus Seeds. 1 diet record. 20 native plants in West Virginia
  • Scolochloa Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
  • Triticum 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia
  • Zannichellia Seeds. 1 diet record. 1 native plant in West Virginia
  • Zizania Seeds. 1 diet record. 0 native plants in West Virginia

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

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.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Birds 103

Plants 303

All of floodplain and bottomland forests in West Virginia

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Birds 58

Plants 109

All of ponds, lakes and their shores in West Virginia

Streams, rivers and their banks

Birds 99

Plants 232

All of streams, rivers and their banks in West Virginia

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources