In this informative article, readers will discover the most common backyard birds in West Virginia. Compiled from actual data from the citizen science program eBird, the article provides a comprehensive list of bird species accompanied by pictures and tips on how to attract them to your own backyard. The Northern Cardinal takes the top spot as the most commonly reported bird, appearing on 52% of bird watching lists. Readers will also find useful information on bird watching in West Virginia, as well as resources for bird identification and local bird groups. With species accounts detailing size, shape, color, habitat, and feeding preferences, readers will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the American Crow, Blue Jay, American Robin, Song Sparrow, Tufted Titmouse, Mourning Dove, American Goldfinch, and Carolina Wren – all commonly found in West Virginia. Additionally, the article offers insights on bird feeders and foods to attract different bird species, making it a must-read for any bird enthusiast or backyard nature lover.

Northern Cardinal

Description

The Northern Cardinal is a stunning songbird known for its vibrant red plumage. The male cardinal is particularly striking, with its bright red body, black facial mask, and crest on its head. Females, on the other hand, have a more subtle appearance, with a grayish-brown body and hints of red on their wings and crests. Both males and females have a distinctive cone-shaped beak, perfectly adapted for cracking open seeds.

Habitat and Range

The Northern Cardinal is a common resident of West Virginia and can be found throughout the state. Cardinals prefer habitats with dense vegetation, such as forests, woodlands, and gardens. They are also known to frequent residential areas, making them a familiar sight in many backyard feeding stations.

Feeding Preferences

Northern Cardinals have a diverse diet, but they primarily feed on seeds and fruits. Their strong beaks allow them to crack open even the toughest seed shells, making them particularly fond of sunflower seeds. Cardinals also enjoy feasting on berries, especially during the winter months when other food sources become scarce.

Attracting to Your Backyard

To attract Northern Cardinals to your backyard, it’s important to provide a suitable habitat. They are more likely to visit if you have dense shrubs, trees, and brush piles where they can nest and seek shelter. Additionally, offering a variety of bird seeds, especially sunflower seeds, in a tray feeder or hopper will entice cardinals to visit regularly.

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American Crow

Description

The American Crow is a large, all-black bird known for its intelligence and adaptability. With its glossy black feathers, sturdy build, and thick beak, the crow is an impressive bird to observe. These birds are highly social, often seen in large groups or pairs flying together.

Habitat and Range

American Crows are found throughout West Virginia, commonly inhabiting a wide range of habitats, including woodlands, fields, cities, and suburban areas. They are adaptable birds and can thrive in various environments.

Feeding Preferences

Crows are omnivorous birds, meaning they have a diverse diet that includes both plant and animal matter. They are scavengers and will eat almost anything, from insects and small mammals to garbage and carrion. Crows are also known to steal food from other birds.

Attracting to Your Backyard

Attracting American Crows to your backyard can be as simple as having a clean, open area where they can forage for food. While they are not regular visitors to bird feeders, leaving out scraps of food or providing a birdbath can increase the likelihood of crows visiting your yard.

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Blue Jay

Description

The Blue Jay is a colorful and energetic bird that is hard to miss with its vibrant blue feathers, white chest, and black markings on its face and wings. Blue Jays are known for their distinctive crests, which they can raise or lower depending on their mood.

Habitat and Range

Blue Jays are found throughout West Virginia, making them a common sight in many backyards. They prefer habitat with a mix of trees, including deciduous and coniferous forests, as well as wooded suburban areas.

Feeding Preferences

Blue Jays have a varied diet and will eat both plant and animal matter. They consume a wide range of foods, including acorns, nuts, berries, insects, and sometimes even small vertebrates such as frogs or nestlings.

Attracting to Your Backyard

To attract Blue Jays to your backyard, provide a mix of their favorite foods, such as peanuts, sunflower seeds, and suet. They are also attracted to water, so having a birdbath or a shallow water feature can entice them to visit.

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American Robin

Description

The American Robin is a medium-sized songbird with a distinctive red-orange breast that contrasts with its grayish back and black head. Robins have a sleek shape, long legs, and a prominent eye ring.

Habitat and Range

American Robins are common throughout West Virginia and can be found in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, fields, gardens, and suburban areas. They are known for their melodic songs, especially heard during their breeding season.

Feeding Preferences

Robins have a varied diet, consisting mainly of insects, earthworms, and berries. They are known for hopping along lawns and using their sharp eyes to detect movement in the soil, indicating the presence of potential prey.

Attracting to Your Backyard

Attracting American Robins to your backyard can be done by providing an area with open grassy areas and trees. Robins will also appreciate a shallow birdbath or a water feature, as they often visit to take a quick dip and drink water.

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Song Sparrow

Description

The Song Sparrow is a small, plump bird with brownish plumage and dark streaks on its chest. It has a long, rounded tail and a distinctive facial pattern, with a dark stripe through its eye.

Habitat and Range

Song Sparrows can be found throughout West Virginia, inhabiting a variety of ecosystems, including grasslands, fields, marshes, and shrubby areas. They are known for their melodious songs that can be heard year-round.

Feeding Preferences

Song Sparrows primarily feed on seeds, insects, and berries. They forage on the ground, using their short, conical beaks to search for food among grasses and low vegetation.

Attracting to Your Backyard

To attract Song Sparrows to your backyard, provide a mix of bird seeds, such as millet and sunflower seeds, in a ground feeder. Shrubs and thick vegetation will also provide them with a suitable habitat for nesting and seeking shelter.

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Tufted Titmouse

Description

The Tufted Titmouse is a small, energetic bird with a gray body, a black patch above its bill, and a distinctive crest on its head. It has a stubby beak that is well-suited for cracking open seeds and insects.

Habitat and Range

Tufted Titmice are common residents of West Virginia and can be found in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, suburban areas, and parks. They are known for their friendly nature and can often be seen visiting backyard feeders.

Feeding Preferences

These birds have a diverse diet that includes both insects and seeds. They are agile foragers, often seen hanging upside down while searching for food on branches or in crevices.

Attracting to Your Backyard

To attract Tufted Titmice to your backyard, provide a mix of seeds, including sunflower seeds and suet, in a tray feeder or hopper feeder. These social birds also appreciate the presence of other small songbirds and will often flock together.

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Mourning Dove

Description

The Mourning Dove is a medium-sized, light gray bird with a long, tapered tail and a small head. It has a soft, plaintive cooing call, which is often heard in the early mornings and evenings.

Habitat and Range

Mourning Doves are common throughout West Virginia and can be found in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, grasslands, urban areas, and farms. These peaceful birds are known for their gentle nature.

Feeding Preferences

Mourning Doves primarily feed on seeds, with their diet consisting mostly of grains, grasses, and seeds from flowering plants. They are ground feeders and can often be seen picking up fallen seeds from the ground.

Attracting to Your Backyard

To attract Mourning Doves to your backyard, scatter seeds such as millet or cracked corn on the ground or provide them in a platform feeder. Offering a source of fresh water, such as a birdbath, will also entice them to visit.

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American Goldfinch

Description

The American Goldfinch is a small, colorful bird with bright yellow plumage, black wings, and a black cap on its head. During the breeding season, males have a vibrant yellow hue, while females have a duller, olive-green color.

Habitat and Range

American Goldfinches can be found throughout West Virginia, especially in fields, meadows, gardens, and open woodlands. They are known for their distinctive flight pattern and can often be seen flying in a bouncing pattern.

Feeding Preferences

These birds are primarily seed eaters and have a particular fondness for thistle seeds. They have a unique adaptation that allows them to eat seeds while hanging upside down, using their pointed beak to extract the seeds from plants.

Attracting to Your Backyard

Attracting American Goldfinches to your backyard is best achieved by offering a nyjer or thistle feeder filled with fresh seeds. These birds also appreciate a source of water, such as a birdbath or a shallow dish.

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Carolina Wren

Description

The Carolina Wren is a small, round-bodied bird with reddish-brown plumage, a white throat, and a long, curved beak. It has a distinctive white eyebrow stripe and a loud, melodious song.

Habitat and Range

Carolina Wrens are common residents of West Virginia and can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, shrublands, and suburban gardens. They are known for their territorial calls and can often be heard defending their territory.

Feeding Preferences

Carolina Wrens have a diverse diet that includes insects, spiders, and small invertebrates. They are known to forage in leaf litter, crevices, and even pieces of bark to find their prey.

Attracting to Your Backyard

To attract Carolina Wrens to your backyard, provide a mix of insects, nuts, and suet in a hanging feeder. These birds also appreciate the presence of dense vegetation, such as shrubs and bushes, where they can find shelter and build their nests.

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Bird Feeders and Foods

Types of Bird Feeders

There are several types of bird feeders that can attract a variety of birds to your backyard.

• Tray feeders: These feeders have an open tray where you can place a mix of bird seeds, attracting ground-feeding birds such as sparrows, doves, and juncos.
• Hopper feeders: These feeders have a container that holds a larger quantity of seeds. They often have perches, allowing birds like cardinals, finches, and chickadees to feed comfortably.
• Tube feeders: These feeders have long, narrow tubes with small openings, allowing smaller birds like goldfinches and titmice to feed on nyjer or thistle seeds.
• Suet feeders: These feeders hold blocks or cakes of suet, which are high-energy foods made from animal fat. They attract birds like woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees.

Recommended Foods for Common Birds

Different bird species have varying feeding preferences. Here are some recommended foods for common backyard birds in West Virginia:

• Northern Cardinal: Sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, cracked corn.
• American Crow: Meat scraps, nuts, suet, grains.
• Blue Jay: Sunflower seeds, peanuts, suet.
• American Robin: Mealworms, berries, fruits, earthworms.
• Song Sparrow: Millet, sunflower seeds, cracked corn.
• Tufted Titmouse: Sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts.
• Mourning Dove: Millet, cracked corn, safflower seeds.
• American Goldfinch: Nyjer or thistle seeds, sunflower hearts.
• Carolina Wren: Mealworms, suet, insects.

Tips for Maintaining Bird Feeders

Taking care of your bird feeders is essential to attract and keep birds coming to your backyard:

• Keep the feeders clean: Regularly clean your bird feeders using mild soap and warm water to prevent the spread of diseases.
• Provide fresh food: Remove any spoiled or moldy food from the feeders and replenish them with fresh seeds or suet.
• Regularly refill feeders: Birds rely on consistent food sources, so make sure to refill your feeders before they run dry.
• Offer a variety of food: Different birds have different preferences, so providing a variety of seeds, nuts, and suet can attract a greater diversity of species.
• Position feeders strategically: Place feeders near trees or shrubs to provide birds with cover and shelter. It’s also helpful to position them near windows for easy viewing but ensure that the area is safe from potential window collisions.