BirdAnalyst
Bird Conservation Region 20

Edwards Plateau

An ecological region spanning Texas, with 20 survey routes. BCRs are the natural unit for bird trends.

What Is Moving Here

long arc declinecomputed index

Cliff Swallow has collapsed in Edwards Plateau: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc increasecomputed index

Barn Swallow has surged in Edwards Plateau: up 71× on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc declinecomputed index

Eastern Meadowlark has collapsed in Edwards Plateau: down 89% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed index

White-winged Dove has surged in Edwards Plateau: up 27× on the route-weighted index since 1978.

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in Edwards Plateau: down 89% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed index

White-eyed Vireo has surged in Edwards Plateau: up 23× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

How Guilds Are Faring

-88%

Game birds

2 species
-81%

Shorebirds

1 species
-76%

Generalists

16 species
-57%

Grassland birds

8 species
-47%

Birds of prey

12 species
-40%

Aerial insectivores

20 species
-34%

Arid-land birds

7 species
-17%

Forest birds

42 species
-15%

Waterfowl

1 species
+52%

Wetland birds

7 species

Survey Routes

Species By Family

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Cooper's Hawk -9%Harris's Hawk -59%Red-shouldered Hawk +196%Red-tailed Hawk +8%Swainson's Hawk -28%Zone-tailed Hawk -39%

Bushtits Aegithalidae

Bushtit -6%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -49%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -82%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck -15%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -74%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Great Blue Heron -40%Great Egret +4%Green Heron -6%Western Cattle-Egret +27%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow -42%Common Nighthawk -40%Common Poorwill -46%Lesser Nighthawk -2%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +657%Dickcissel +7%Indigo Bunting +161%Northern Cardinal +40%Painted Bunting -5%Pyrrhuloxia -35%Summer Tanager +279%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +283%Turkey Vulture +7%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -81%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Common Ground Dove +379%Eurasian Collared-Dove 13×Inca Dove -73%Mourning Dove -40%Rock Pigeon -36%White-winged Dove 27×

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +150%Blue Jay +260%Chihuahuan Raven -59%Common Raven 14×Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay +92%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Greater Roadrunner -51%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -55%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

Crested Caracara 13×

Finches Fringillidae

House Finch -13%Lesser Goldfinch +10%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Barn Swallow 71×Cave Swallow +247%Cliff Swallow -90%Northern Rough-winged Swallow -9%Purple Martin +391%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Bronzed Cowbird +7%Brown-headed Cowbird -47%Bullock's Oriole -76%Common Grackle +198%Eastern Meadowlark -89%Great-tailed Grackle +607%Hooded Oriole +31%Orchard Oriole -87%Red-winged Blackbird +55%Scott's Oriole +277%Western Meadowlark +132%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat 17×

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -41%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Curve-billed Thrasher +33%Long-billed Thrasher +31%Northern Mockingbird -76%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -89%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-crested Titmouse +6%Carolina Chickadee +83%Tufted Titmouse -78%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

Black-and-white Warbler 13×Golden-cheeked Warbler +295%Yellow-throated Warbler +257%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Black-throated Sparrow +4%Canyon Towhee +56%Cassin's Sparrow -11%Chipping Sparrow -26%Field Sparrow +20%Grasshopper Sparrow +7%Lark Sparrow -64%Olive Sparrow +141%Rufous-crowned Sparrow -0%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -84%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Wild Turkey +32%

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +40%Golden-fronted Woodpecker +225%Ladder-backed Woodpecker +7%Red-bellied Woodpecker +15%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 15×

Penduline Tits Remizidae

Verdin -53%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl -50%Eastern Screech-Owl -65%Great Horned Owl -75%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling +655%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Black-chinned Hummingbird +11%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Bewick's Wren +31%Cactus Wren -63%Canyon Wren -30%Carolina Wren +183%Rock Wren -7%

Thrushes Turdidae

Eastern Bluebird +317%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher -32%Ash-throated Flycatcher +730%Brown-crested Flycatcher +121%Eastern Kingbird -79%Eastern Phoebe -39%Eastern Wood-Pewee +5%Great Crested Flycatcher -27%Scissor-tailed Flycatcher -62%Vermilion Flycatcher +153%Western Kingbird +326%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo +236%Black-capped Vireo +675%Red-eyed Vireo -47%White-eyed Vireo 23×Yellow-throated Vireo +978%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.