Bird Conservation Region 24

Central Hardwoods

An ecological region spanning Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, with 166 survey routes. BCRs are the natural unit for bird trends.

What Is Moving Here

long arc declinecomputed index

Loggerhead Shrike has collapsed in Central Hardwoods: down 99% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc increasecomputed index

Cliff Swallow has surged in Central Hardwoods: up 110× on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc declinecomputed index

Bewick's Wren has collapsed in Central Hardwoods: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc increasecomputed index

Canada Goose has surged in Central Hardwoods: up 69× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

long arc declinecomputed index

Common Nighthawk has collapsed in Central Hardwoods: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc increasecomputed index

Northern Parula has surged in Central Hardwoods: up 22× on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Guilds Are Faring

Game birds

Grassland birds

Generalists

Wetland birds

Aerial insectivores

Forest birds

Arid-land birds

Birds of prey

Shorebirds

Waterfowl

Survey Routes

Species By Family

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +966%Broad-winged Hawk +22%Cooper's Hawk +157%Mississippi Kite +451%Northern Harrier -22%Red-shouldered Hawk 13×Red-tailed Hawk +250%Sharp-shinned Hawk -52%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -28%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -65%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Blue-winged Teal -68%Canada Goose 69×Hooded Merganser -52%Mallard +140%Wood Duck +168%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -83%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron +239%Great Blue Heron 20×Great Egret 17×Green Heron -78%Little Blue Heron -24%Snowy Egret +74%Western Cattle-Egret +589%Yellow-crowned Night Heron -50%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +962%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow -48%Common Nighthawk -95%Eastern Whip-poor-will -73%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +268%Dickcissel +43%Indigo Bunting -25%Northern Cardinal -1%Painted Bunting +35%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +74%Scarlet Tanager +121%Summer Tanager +33%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +621%Turkey Vulture +293%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove 19×Mourning Dove -4%Rock Pigeon -63%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -2%Blue Jay -41%Fish Crow 41×

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -46%Greater Roadrunner +19%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -48%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel +8%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -5%House Finch 253×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow +7%Barn Swallow -36%Cliff Swallow 110×Northern Rough-winged Swallow +63%Purple Martin +108%Tree Swallow 37×

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +159%Bobolink +162%Brown-headed Cowbird +3%Common Grackle -87%Eastern Meadowlark -77%Great-tailed Grackle -28%Orchard Oriole -71%Red-winged Blackbird -37%Western Meadowlark -21%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -57%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -99%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -49%Gray Catbird -74%Northern Mockingbird -56%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -85%

Osprey Pandionidae

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +334%Carolina Chickadee +27%Tufted Titmouse +33%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +62%Black-and-white Warbler +62%Black-throated Green Warbler +493%Blue-winged Warbler -8%Cerulean Warbler -52%Chestnut-sided Warbler -37%Common Yellowthroat -14%Hooded Warbler +370%Kentucky Warbler +63%Louisiana Waterthrush +71%Northern Parula 22×Ovenbird +282%Pine Warbler 16×Prairie Warbler -33%Prothonotary Warbler +26%Worm-eating Warbler +150%Yellow Warbler -75%Yellow-throated Warbler +352%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Bachman's Sparrow -78%Chipping Sparrow -1%Eastern Towhee -53%Field Sparrow -69%Grasshopper Sparrow -93%Henslow's Sparrow -7%Lark Sparrow -75%Savannah Sparrow -27%Song Sparrow +50%Vesper Sparrow -83%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -84%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant 45×

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Wild Turkey +1000%

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker -5%Hairy Woodpecker +86%Pileated Woodpecker +27%Red-bellied Woodpecker +37%Red-headed Woodpecker +128%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe -75%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +123%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -41%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -39%Spotted Sandpiper -45%Upland Sandpiper -28%

Nuthatches Sittidae

White-breasted Nuthatch +880%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +283%Eastern Screech-Owl -38%Great Horned Owl +5%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -8%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +168%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Bewick's Wren -97%Carolina Wren +87%Northern House Wren +757%Sedge Wren -68%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +29%Eastern Bluebird -37%Wood Thrush +36%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +157%Eastern Kingbird -26%Eastern Phoebe +69%Eastern Wood-Pewee +38%Great Crested Flycatcher +1%Scissor-tailed Flycatcher +563%Western Kingbird +2%Willow Flycatcher +211%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo +235%Red-eyed Vireo +190%Warbling Vireo +129%White-eyed Vireo +71%Yellow-throated Vireo +211%

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