BirdAnalyst
Bird Conservation Region 29

Piedmont

An ecological region spanning Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, New-jersey, North-carolina, Pennsylvania, South-carolina, Virginia, with 172 survey routes. BCRs are the natural unit for bird trends.

What Is Moving Here

long arc declinecomputed index

Ring-necked Pheasant has collapsed in Piedmont: down 100% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc increasecomputed index

House Finch has surged in Piedmont: up 74× on the route-weighted index since 1977.

long arc declinecomputed index

Vesper Sparrow has collapsed in Piedmont: down 99% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc increasecomputed index

Canada Goose has surged in Piedmont: up 46× on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in Piedmont: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc increasecomputed index

Cliff Swallow has surged in Piedmont: up 18× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

How Guilds Are Faring

-97%

Game birds

3 species
-88%

Wetland birds

11 species
-84%

Grassland birds

9 species
-68%

Generalists

13 species
-2%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
+12%

Forest birds

63 species
+27%

Shorebirds

3 species
+319%

Birds of prey

15 species
+774%

Waterfowl

3 species

Survey Routes

Species By Family

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +270%Broad-winged Hawk -44%Cooper's Hawk +229%Mississippi Kite +99%Northern Harrier -52%Red-shouldered Hawk 17×Red-tailed Hawk +601%Sharp-shinned Hawk -55%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -31%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -59%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Canada Goose 46×Mallard -6%Wood Duck +243%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -58%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron -72%Great Blue Heron 20×Great Egret +20%Green Heron -50%Little Blue Heron -21%Western Cattle-Egret +7%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +770%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow -35%Common Nighthawk -97%Eastern Whip-poor-will -68%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +15%Dickcissel +58%Indigo Bunting -16%Northern Cardinal +52%Rose-breasted Grosbeak -25%Scarlet Tanager +14%Summer Tanager +72%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture 12×Turkey Vulture +555%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +32%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Common Ground Dove -41%Eurasian Collared-Dove +220%Mourning Dove -2%Rock Pigeon -80%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +6%Blue Jay -37%Common Raven +635%Fish Crow +276%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -94%Yellow-billed Cuckoo +4%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -47%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +54%House Finch 74×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -80%Barn Swallow -3%Cliff Swallow 18×Northern Rough-winged Swallow +198%Purple Martin -36%Tree Swallow 34×

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -56%Bobolink -8%Brown-headed Cowbird +7%Common Grackle -86%Eastern Meadowlark -82%Orchard Oriole +10%Red-winged Blackbird -80%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -51%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -93%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Ring-billed Gull -93%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -15%Gray Catbird +7%Northern Mockingbird -35%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -97%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey 13×

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +196%Carolina Chickadee +92%Tufted Titmouse +161%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart -43%Black-and-white Warbler +581%Black-throated Green Warbler -49%Blue-winged Warbler -81%Cerulean Warbler -83%Chestnut-sided Warbler -75%Common Yellowthroat -39%Hooded Warbler +138%Kentucky Warbler -34%Louisiana Waterthrush +206%Northern Parula +377%Ovenbird +140%Pine Warbler +310%Prairie Warbler -59%Prothonotary Warbler +53%Swainson's Warbler +483%Worm-eating Warbler +111%Yellow Warbler -52%Yellow-throated Warbler +159%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Bachman's Sparrow -43%Chipping Sparrow +57%Eastern Towhee -47%Field Sparrow -77%Grasshopper Sparrow -77%Savannah Sparrow +42%Song Sparrow -9%Swamp Sparrow -59%Vesper Sparrow -99%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -82%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant -0%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -100%Wild Turkey 15×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +69%Hairy Woodpecker +91%Pileated Woodpecker +476%Red-bellied Woodpecker +106%Red-headed Woodpecker +658%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +465%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -73%Spotted Sandpiper -66%Upland Sandpiper -79%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Brown-headed Nuthatch +154%White-breasted Nuthatch +584%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +158%Eastern Screech-Owl -73%Great Horned Owl -25%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -59%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +58%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren +416%Northern House Wren -31%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin -22%Eastern Bluebird +340%Veery +111%Wood Thrush -54%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +86%Eastern Kingbird -42%Eastern Phoebe +170%Eastern Wood-Pewee -7%Great Crested Flycatcher +23%Least Flycatcher -85%Willow Flycatcher +65%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo +136%Red-eyed Vireo +60%Warbling Vireo +198%White-eyed Vireo +247%Yellow-throated Vireo +163%

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