Backyard birds in Weirton Heights, West Virginia
Which birds visit Weirton Heights yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Weirton Heights's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 40.408°, -80.539°
- Population
- 19,450
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 4 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 17 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:45 AM / 5:51 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 5 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 5b–7a
Nesting timing in Weirton Heights
The state guides give nesting windows for West Virginia as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 39.1°N). Weirton Heights is at 40.4°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 5 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Weirton Heights goes from 9 h 17 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 4 min in June, a 5 h 47 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window April–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Carolina Chickadee — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window May–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window July–September
- Tufted Titmouse — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window May–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
Birds you can expect in Weirton Heights
Year-round residents (56)
Northern Cardinals, Eastern Bluebirds, Carolina Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Towhees, Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhites, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Field Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers, Canada Gooses, Killdeers, Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Barn Owls, Horned Larks, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (50)
Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Pine Warblers, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, White-eyed Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, American Coots, Spotted Sandpipers, American Woodcocks, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Ospreys, Savannah Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Dickcissels, Blue Grosbeaks, Yellow-billed Cuckoos
Winter visitors (18)
Purple Finchs, White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Pine Siskins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushs, Winter Wrens, Red Crossbills, Merlins, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Swamp Sparrows, White-winged Crossbills, Rusty Blackbirds
Snowy winters at elevation; valleys milder.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Weirton Heights
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Weirton Heights, sunrise is around 6:45 AM in mid-April, 5:51 AM at the June solstice and 7:41 AM in late December (local time, America/New York). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Weirton Heights yards
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Nearby cities in West Virginia
- Wheeling — 26 mi away, nesting about the same time as Weirton Heights
- Morgantown — 62 mi away, nesting roughly 3 days earlier than Weirton Heights
- Fairmont — 67 mi away, nesting roughly 4 days earlier than Weirton Heights
- Clarksburg — 79 mi away, nesting roughly 5 days earlier than Weirton Heights
- Parkersburg — 96 mi away, nesting roughly 5 days earlier than Weirton Heights
- Martinsburg — 151 mi away, nesting roughly 4 days earlier than Weirton Heights
Frequently asked
What birds live in Weirton Heights all year?
Year-round residents across West Virginia include Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker. All of them visit backyard feeders in Weirton Heights.
When do birds start nesting in Weirton Heights?
Weirton Heights sits at a different latitude from West Virginia's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 5 days later than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Weirton Heights?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Weirton Heights, sunrise is around 6:45 AM in mid-April and 5:51 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — West Virginia
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.