Bird

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

Lives in West Virginia all year and nests here. Found in all 55 counties, across 8 habitats.

Here: All year
Nesting: Nests here
Range: All 55 counties
Habitats: 8

Male Song Sparrow, whole bird — **Male**. (c) Andrew Murray, some rights reserved (CC BY). CC BY 4.0. iNaturalist photo 398411449. Source-provided large resize; no crop or image edits.

At a glance

Group: Birds
Here: All year
Nesting: Nests here
Range: All 55 counties
Habitats: 8
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 8

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

1 of 8

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

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

WinterSouthern Appalachian Montane Pine Forest and Woodland

Floodplain and bottomland forests

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

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

Forest edges and thickets

Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.

SummerWinterDisturbed/Successional - Shrub Regeneration; Successional Shrub/Scrub (Other); Harvested Forest - Shrub Regeneration

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

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

SummerWinterDeveloped, Open Space; Pasture/Hay; Disturbed/Successional - Grass/Forb Regeneration; Utility Swath - Herbaceous; Ruderal Upland - Old Field

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

SummerWinterCentral Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems; South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian

Swamps

Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.

SummerWinterCentral Interior and Appalachian Swamp Systems

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.

SummerWinterDeciduous Plantation; Managed Tree Plantation

Other habitats in its models (119)

Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in West Virginia.

Developed, Low Intensity Summer and winter.
Southwestern Great Plains Canyon Summer and winter.
Southwest Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Winter.
Southeast Florida Coastal Strand and Maritime Hammock Summer and winter.
East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland Winter.
East-Central Texas Plains Riparian Forest Winter.
East Gulf Coastal Plain Maritime Forest Winter.
Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland Winter.
Mississippi Delta Maritime Forest Winter.
Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Maritime Forest Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Maritime Forest Summer and winter.
Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Winter.
East-Central Texas Plains Pine Forest and Woodland Winter.
Tamaulipan Mixed Deciduous Thornscrub Winter.
Tamaulipan Mesquite Upland Scrub Winter.
Tamaulipan Calcareous Thornscrub Winter.
Western Great Plains Mesquite Woodland and Shrubland Winter.
Central Mixedgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
Central Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
Southern Blackland Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
Southeastern Great Plains Tallgrass Prairie Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland Summer and winter.
Southwest Florida Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Winter.
East Gulf Coastal Plain Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale Summer and winter.
Central and Upper Texas Coast Dune and Coastal Grassland Winter.
Recently Logged Areas Summer and winter.
Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Summer and winter.
Recently Burned Summer and winter.
Recently Burned Forest Summer and winter.
Recently Burned Grassland Summer and winter.
Recently Burned Shrubland Summer and winter.
Introduced Upland Vegetation - Shrub Summer and winter.
Introduced Upland Vegetation - Forbland Summer and winter.
Introduced Upland Vegetation - Annual Grassland Summer and winter.
Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland Summer and winter.
Introduced Upland Vegetation - Perennial Grassland and Forbland Summer and winter.
Modified/Managed Southern Tall Grassland Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Indian River Lagoon Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh Summer and winter.
Mississippi Sound Salt and Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh Summer and winter.
Florida Big Bend Salt-Brackish Tidal Marsh Winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Taxodium Modifier Summer and winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Bay/Gum Modifier Summer and winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Pine Modifier Summer and winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Nupea Modifier Summer and winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp - Okefenokee Clethra Modifier Winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Herbaceous Wetland Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin Summer and winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Summer and winter.
West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp and Baygall Winter.
East Gulf Coastal Plain Tidal Wooded Swamp Winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Streamhead Seepage Swamp - Pocosin - and Baygall Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Large Natural Lakeshore Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
South Florida Everglades Sawgrass Marsh Winter.
Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain Tidal Marsh Systems Winter.
Central Interior and Appalachian Shrub-Herbaceous Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
Floridian Highlands Freshwater Marsh Winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Embayed Region Tidal Freshwater Marsh Summer and winter.
Central Florida Herbaceous Seep Winter.
Florida Big Bend Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Wooded Swamp Summer and winter.
South Florida Mangrove Swamp Winter.
West Gulf Coastal Plain Near-Coast Large River Swamp Winter.
South Florida Bayhead Swamp Winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Basin Swamp Winter.
Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest Summer.
Southern Coastal Plain Herbaceous Seepage Bog Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Central Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Taxodium/Nyssa Modifier Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest - Oak Dominated Modifier Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Clay-Based Carolina Bay Forested Wetland Summer and winter.
South Florida Dwarf Cypress Savanna Winter.
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Interdunal Wetland Summer and winter.
Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Winter.
South Florida Wet Marl Prairie Winter.
Texas Saline Coastal Prairie Winter.
Eastern Great Plains Wet Meadow, Prairie, and Marsh Summer and winter.
Lower Mississippi River Bottomland Depressions - Forest Modifier Winter.
South Florida Cypress Dome Winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Nonriverine Cypress Dome Winter.
Western Great Plains Depressional Wetland Systems Summer and winter.
Central Florida Herbaceous Pondshore Summer and winter.
East Gulf Coastal Plain Southern Depression Pondshore Winter.
Southern Piedmont/Ridge and Valley Upland Depression Swamp Winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Depression Pondshore Summer and winter.
Mississippi River Bottomland Depression Winter.
South Florida Freshwater Slough and Gator Hole Winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier Summer and winter.
East Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest - Herbaceous Modifier Winter.
South-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Herbaceous Modifier Summer and winter.
Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat Summer and winter.
Western Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Summer and winter.
Tamaulipan Riparian Systems Winter.
Mississippi River Riparian Forest Winter.
Mississippi River Low Floodplain (Bottomland) Forest Winter.
West Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Forest Winter.
West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain Forest Winter.
Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Brownwater River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
Red River Large Floodplain Forest Winter.
Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
East Gulf Coastal Plain Small Stream and River Floodplain Forest Winter.
Southern Coastal Plain Blackwater River Floodplain Forest Summer and winter.
Texas-Louisiana Coastal Prairie Slough Winter.
Mississippi River Floodplain and Riparian Forest Winter.
Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Winter.
Central Florida Pine Flatwoods Winter.