BirdAnalyst
Bird Conservation Region 36

Tamaulipan Brushlands

An ecological region spanning Texas, with 28 survey routes. BCRs are the natural unit for bird trends.

What Is Moving Here

long arc declinecomputed index

Scaled Quail has collapsed in Tamaulipan Brushlands: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed index

European Starling has surged in Tamaulipan Brushlands: up 36× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

long arc declinecomputed index

Black-throated Sparrow has collapsed in Tamaulipan Brushlands: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed index

Western Kingbird has surged in Tamaulipan Brushlands: up 24× on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc declinecomputed index

Common Gallinule has collapsed in Tamaulipan Brushlands: down 92% on the route-weighted index since 1970.

long arc increasecomputed index

Eurasian Collared-Dove has surged in Tamaulipan Brushlands: up 18× on the route-weighted index since 2002.

How Guilds Are Faring

-85%

Arid-land birds

6 species
-71%

Shorebirds

2 species
-66%

Wetland birds

17 species
-65%

Game birds

3 species
-58%

Generalists

15 species
-51%

Forest birds

28 species
-44%

Grassland birds

7 species
-31%

Aerial insectivores

21 species
+7%

Birds of prey

13 species
+96%

Waterfowl

4 species

Survey Routes

Species By Family

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Cooper's Hawk -23%Harris's Hawk -58%Red-shouldered Hawk +47%Red-tailed Hawk +11%Swainson's Hawk -41%White-tailed Hawk -26%White-tailed Kite +7%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark +154%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck +217%Fulvous Whistling-Duck -23%Mexican Duck +2%Mottled Duck -41%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -40%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Great Blue Heron -19%Great Egret +23%Green Heron -3%Little Blue Heron -29%Snowy Egret +7%Tricolored Heron -26%Western Cattle-Egret -27%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk -82%Common Pauraque -74%Common Poorwill -89%Lesser Nighthawk -54%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak -21%Dickcissel -2%Indigo Bunting -64%Northern Cardinal +7%Painted Bunting -30%Pyrrhuloxia -85%Summer Tanager -27%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +587%Turkey Vulture -6%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -68%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Common Ground Dove -40%Eurasian Collared-Dove 18×Inca Dove -9%Mourning Dove -10%Rock Pigeon -61%White-tipped Dove +672%White-winged Dove +334%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

Chihuahuan Raven -90%Green Jay +877%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Greater Roadrunner +6%Groove-billed Ani -52%Yellow-billed Cuckoo +16%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel +1%Crested Caracara +497%

Finches Fringillidae

House Finch +818%Lesser Goldfinch +187%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -86%Barn Swallow -31%Cave Swallow +2%Cliff Swallow -84%Northern Rough-winged Swallow -56%Purple Martin +142%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Audubon's Oriole 13×Bronzed Cowbird -20%Brown-headed Cowbird -51%Bullock's Oriole +64%Common Grackle -84%Eastern Meadowlark -43%Great-tailed Grackle -47%Hooded Oriole +984%Orchard Oriole -68%Red-winged Blackbird -55%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat +169%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike +277%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Gull-billed Tern +13%Laughing Gull -19%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Curve-billed Thrasher -75%Long-billed Thrasher +707%Northern Mockingbird -47%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -62%Scaled Quail -95%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-crested Titmouse +385%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

Common Yellowthroat +62%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Black-throated Sparrow -94%Cassin's Sparrow -54%Field Sparrow -35%Grasshopper Sparrow -81%Lark Sparrow -22%Olive Sparrow +725%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -87%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Neotropic Cormorant -50%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Wild Turkey +68%

Woodpeckers Picidae

Golden-fronted Woodpecker -50%Ladder-backed Woodpecker +95%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Least Grebe -72%Pied-billed Grebe -70%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Black-tailed Gnatcatcher +105%Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +195%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -34%Common Gallinule -92%

Avocets & Stilts Recurvirostridae

Black-necked Stilt +109%

Penduline Tits Remizidae

Verdin -81%

Owls Strigidae

Eastern Screech-Owl -85%Great Horned Owl -77%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling 36×

Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae

White-faced Ibis +7%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Black-chinned Hummingbird +65%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Bewick's Wren +12%Cactus Wren -59%Carolina Wren +70%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Ash-throated Flycatcher +114%Brown-crested Flycatcher +23%Couch's Kingbird +509%Eastern Kingbird -28%Eastern Phoebe +42%Great Crested Flycatcher -45%Great Kiskadee +76%Scissor-tailed Flycatcher -16%Vermilion Flycatcher +407%Western Kingbird 24×

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo -76%White-eyed Vireo +280%

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