BirdAnalyst
Bird Conservation Region 25

West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas

An ecological region spanning Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, with 110 survey routes. BCRs are the natural unit for bird trends.

What Is Moving Here

long arc declinecomputed index

Loggerhead Shrike has collapsed in West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed index

Cliff Swallow has surged in West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas: up 33× on the route-weighted index since 1976.

long arc declinecomputed index

Field Sparrow has collapsed in West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed index

Mississippi Kite has surged in West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas: up 15× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed index

Eastern Towhee has surged in West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas: up 13× on the route-weighted index since 1969.

How Guilds Are Faring

-97%

Game birds

2 species
-85%

Grassland birds

6 species
-77%

Shorebirds

1 species
-73%

Wetland birds

17 species
-64%

Generalists

13 species
-39%

Aerial insectivores

16 species
-18%

Arid-land birds

1 species
+33%

Forest birds

58 species
+34%

Waterfowl

4 species
+103%

Birds of prey

15 species

Survey Routes

Species By Family

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +122%Broad-winged Hawk +154%Cooper's Hawk +109%Mississippi Kite 15×Red-shouldered Hawk +281%Red-tailed Hawk +47%Sharp-shinned Hawk -36%Swallow-tailed Kite -49%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark +109%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -59%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck +274%Canada Goose +48%Mallard +15%Wood Duck +19%

Anhingas Anhingidae

Anhinga -73%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -71%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron -36%Great Blue Heron +38%Great Egret +66%Green Heron -83%Little Blue Heron -92%Snowy Egret +11%Tricolored Heron -32%Western Cattle-Egret +422%Yellow-crowned Night Heron -52%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow -47%Common Nighthawk -84%Eastern Whip-poor-will +4%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +32%Dickcissel -66%Indigo Bunting +56%Northern Cardinal +23%Painted Bunting -44%Scarlet Tanager +270%Summer Tanager +40%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +453%Turkey Vulture +33%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -77%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove +782%Inca Dove +162%Mourning Dove -25%Rock Pigeon -72%White-winged Dove +854%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +25%Blue Jay +4%Fish Crow +202%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Greater Roadrunner -18%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -27%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -71%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -72%House Finch +686%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Barn Swallow +63%Cliff Swallow 33×Northern Rough-winged Swallow -37%Purple Martin -61%Tree Swallow +48%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -91%Brown-headed Cowbird -54%Common Grackle -94%Eastern Meadowlark -93%Great-tailed Grackle +163%Orchard Oriole -68%Red-winged Blackbird -90%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat +52%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -98%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -40%Gray Catbird -59%Northern Mockingbird -47%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -95%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey -36%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Carolina Chickadee +68%Tufted Titmouse +68%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart -79%Black-and-white Warbler +48%Black-throated Green Warbler +544%Cerulean Warbler -71%Common Yellowthroat -54%Hooded Warbler +489%Kentucky Warbler -34%Louisiana Waterthrush -31%Northern Parula +49%Ovenbird -4%Pine Warbler +203%Prairie Warbler +95%Prothonotary Warbler -35%Swainson's Warbler +748%Worm-eating Warbler -27%Yellow Warbler -58%Yellow-throated Warbler +110%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Bachman's Sparrow -78%Chipping Sparrow -23%Eastern Towhee 13×Field Sparrow -96%Grasshopper Sparrow -11%Lark Sparrow -84%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -90%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant -47%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Wild Turkey +132%

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +109%Hairy Woodpecker +97%Pileated Woodpecker +25%Red-bellied Woodpecker +95%Red-cockaded Woodpecker -56%Red-headed Woodpecker -35%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe -62%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +103%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

Common Gallinule +1%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Brown-headed Nuthatch -14%White-breasted Nuthatch +231%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +5%Eastern Screech-Owl +12%Great Horned Owl -50%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -71%

Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae

White Ibis +76%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird -17%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Bewick's Wren -71%Carolina Wren +81%Northern House Wren -30%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin -69%Eastern Bluebird -41%Wood Thrush -25%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +9%Eastern Kingbird -69%Eastern Phoebe -2%Eastern Wood-Pewee -47%Great Crested Flycatcher -30%Scissor-tailed Flycatcher -51%Western Kingbird -41%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo -88%Red-eyed Vireo +183%Warbling Vireo -7%White-eyed Vireo +153%Yellow-throated Vireo +312%

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