Wood Thrushs in Virginia
When wood thrushes are present in Virginia, when they nest, which native Virginia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–8a yard.
- Status in Virginia
- Summer breeder
- Nesting window
- May–July
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 5b–8a
When to expect wood thrushes in Virginia
Wood Thrushs are summer residents in Virginia, arriving shortly before nesting begins in May and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on beetles, ants and caterpillars.
Humid subtropical in the east, cooler and snowier in the Blue Ridge and Allegheny highlands.
Nesting in Virginia
Across Virginia, wood thrushes typically nest from May–July. Nest site: mud-lined cup in understory saplings. Females lay 3–4 eggs, incubate for 11–14 days, and young leave the nest after 12–15 days.
Warm, humid summers; House Wrens and hummingbirds breed statewide.
- Wood Thrushs don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, spicebush, winterberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.
Native Virginia plants that attract wood thrushes
Of the regional native plants we track for Virginia, these 8 provide food or cover wood thrushes use:
Fall fruit.
High-fat red berries and caterpillar host.
Winter fruit.
Nectar and small fruit.
Winter cover.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Feeding wood thrushes through the Virginia year
Needs shady, moist woodland with leaf litter; declining by more than half since 1966.
- Best foods: .
- In Virginia's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.
Full diet breakdown for wood thrushes · Best feeder for wood thrushes
Frequently asked
Are wood thrushes in Virginia year-round?
No. Wood Thrushs are summer breeders in Virginia and leave for the winter.
When do wood thrushes nest in Virginia?
Nesting in Virginia typically runs May–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 3–4 eggs, incubated for 11–14 days.
What native plants attract wood thrushes in Virginia?
Flowering dogwood, Spicebush, Winterberry, Trumpet honeysuckle, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac are native plants in Virginia that provide food or cover for wood thrushes.
Wood Thrushs in other regions
Other backyard birds in Virginia
Sources
- Wood Thrush — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Wood Thrush life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Wood Thrush — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Virginia
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
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.