15 Birds That Spend Their Winters in West Virginia

West Virginia has a diverse bird population, even in winter. While dozens of birds make their home in this eastern state year-round, others fly in from other areas for winter. Check out the 15 birds that spend their winters in West Virginia and learn about their habitats and cold-weather diets.

1. White-Breasted Nuthatch

The white-breasted nuthatch is a common species across the state, where it lives in deciduous forests, parks, and yards. While they visit bird feeders, they only stay a short while. Seeds account for 60% of its winter diet.

2. Northern Cardinal

Northern cardinals are the state bird of West Virginia, where it’s found throughout the year and commonly spotted in backyards. At feeders, cardinals indulge in crushed peanuts, suet, berries, and cracked corn.

3. American Crow

The American crow is a common sight in West Virginia year-round and in almost every habitat, such as woodlands, fields, and cities. These birds are less likely to visit a feeder and more likely to visit your garbage can.

4. Bald Eagle

While these birds were once rarely spotted in West Virginia, they are now more common around the state’s rivers, including during the winter. Bald eagles still eat a diet rich in fish and waterfowl during the cold months.

5. Eastern Bluebird

The eastern bluebird is a regular visitor to West Virginia’s fields and other open areas. During the winter, you can find these birds at feeders that provide fruits, berries, suet, and mealworms.

6. Tufted Titmouse

The active tufted titmouse is a common bird year-round in eastern deciduous forests. It is also a frequent visitor to backyard feeders during the winter. This species prefers sunflowers seeds, peanuts, and suet.

7. Carolina Wren

The Carolina wren is another common bird in West Virginia. However, they can be hard to find, as they live in shrubby and bushy habitats. These birds rely on berries, small fruits, and seeds during the winter.

8. Red-Bellied Woodpecker

This woodpecker lives throughout West Virginia all year, including most of eastern America. Red-bellied woodpeckers mainly live off seeds during the winter and they like to frequent feeders.

9. Blue Jay

The blue jay is the only species of jay found in West Virginia. It inhabits forest edges, wooded suburbs, and city parks. Blue jays consume nuts, seeds, grains, berries, and fruits during the winter.

10. Carolina Chickadee

Carolina chickadees are frequent visitors to West Virginia woodlands and swamps across the state. These birds eat caterpillars, seeds, and berries during the winter months. They may also visit bird boxes during cold periods to conserve heat.

11. Great Blue Heron

While great blue herons are more often seen during the summer, you can sometimes spot on in the state during winter. These large birds stay near river edges, lakes, and wetlands. For those that stay during winter, they feed on fish, amphibians, mice, and other small prey they can find.

12. Downy Woodpecker

The downy woodpecker is the most common woodpecker in West Virginia, and they stay year-round across the state. Seeds and berries make up most of this bird’s winter diet and they like to frequent feeders to supplement what they find in the wild.

13. Song Sparrow

The song sparrow is one of the most common sparrows in West Virginia. They are widespread across the state, where they inhabit thickets, gardens, and marshes. These birds feed mainly on grass and weed seeds during winter.

14. Wood Duck

The wood duck lives all year in West Virginia but is most commonly spotted during summer. You can see them in woodland ponds and river swamps, where it feeds on seeds, wetland plants, and other vegetation.

15. Dark-Eyed Junco

Dark-eyed juncos travel south to West Virginia during winter, where they like to inhabit forest floors, along with more habited areas, like roadsides. These birds rely heavily on weed and grass seeds during winter.

A Summary of the 15 Birds That Spend Their Winters in West Virginia