Top 15 Birds in West Virginia

Northern Cardinal

• Description: A bright red songbird with a distinctive crest and black mask around the face (males); females are pale brown with red tinges.
• Habitat: Woodlands, gardens, shrublands, and residential areas.
• Ecosystem Services: Seed disperser, helps control insect populations.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

American Goldfinch

• Description: Small finch with bright yellow plumage (males in summer), black forehead, and black wings with white markings.
• Habitat: Meadows, fields, orchards, and suburban areas.
• Ecosystem Services: Important seed disperser, especially of thistles and sunflowers.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Eastern Bluebird

• Description: Small thrush with bright blue upperparts and reddish-brown chest.
• Habitat: Open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards.
• Ecosystem Services: Insect control, cavity nester aiding biodiversity.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern (recovered from earlier declines).

Pileated Woodpecker

• Description: Large woodpecker with striking black body, white stripes on the face and neck, and a bright red crest.
• Habitat: Mature forests with large trees.
• Ecosystem Services: Creates nesting cavities used by other wildlife, controls forest insect pests.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Wild Turkey

• Description: Large ground-dwelling bird with dark plumage and a fan-shaped tail.
• Habitat: Hardwood forests, open clearings, and fields.
• Ecosystem Services: Seed disperser, contributes to forest regeneration.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern (restored from earlier population lows).

Carolina Wren

• Description: Small, chunky bird with rich reddish-brown plumage and a prominent white eyebrow stripe.
• Habitat: Forest edges, gardens, and shrubby thickets.
• Ecosystem Services: Insect control.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Red-tailed Hawk

• Description: Large raptor with a broad, rounded wings and characteristic red tail.
• Habitat: Open country, fields, woodlands edges.
• Ecosystem Services: Predator that helps control rodent populations.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

• Description: Tiny bird with iridescent green plumage and a brilliant red throat (males).
• Habitat: Woodlands, gardens, and meadows.
• Ecosystem Services: Important pollinator.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Wood Thrush

• Description: Medium-sized thrush with reddish-brown upperparts and a white breast with bold black spots.
• Habitat: Mature deciduous and mixed forests.
• Ecosystem Services: Insect control, seed dispersal.
• Conservation Status: Near Threatened (declining due to habitat loss).

Bald Eagle

• Description: Large raptor with dark brown body, white head and tail, and yellow bill.
• Habitat: Near large bodies of water with abundant fish.
• Ecosystem Services: Scavenger and predator, maintains balance in aquatic ecosystems.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern (recovered from endangered status).

Great Blue Heron

• Description: Tall, long-legged wader with blue-gray plumage and a long, pointed bill.
• Habitat: Wetlands, rivers, and lakeshores.
• Ecosystem Services: Controls populations of fish, amphibians, and small aquatic creatures.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Eastern Towhee

• Description: Large sparrow with black (males) or brown (females) upperparts, rufous sides, and white belly.
• Habitat: Shrubby fields, forest edges, and thickets.
• Ecosystem Services: Seed dispersal, insect control.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Barred Owl

• Description: Large owl with brown and white barred plumage and dark eyes.
• Habitat: Mixed woodlands, often near water.
• Ecosystem Services: Predator of small mammals, helps regulate prey populations.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern.

Chimney Swift

• Description: Small, sooty-brown bird with slender body and crescent-shaped wings.
• Habitat: Urban areas, chimneys, and hollow trees.
• Ecosystem Services: Major consumer of flying insects.
• Conservation Status: Near Threatened (declining due to loss of nesting sites).

Scarlet Tanager

• Description: Brilliant red body with black wings and tail (males); olive-yellow body with darker wings (females).
• Habitat: Deciduous forests and woodlands.
• Ecosystem Services: Insect control, seed dispersal.
• Conservation Status: Least Concern (but faces threats from habitat loss).