Guild · Minnesota · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024
Grassland Birds In Minnesota
15 species in this guild. As a group they are -55% since 1969.
Guild Signals
guild collapsecomputed index
Grassland birds as a group have fallen sharply in Minnesota, down 55% since 1969.
Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Grassland birds in Minnesota is projected to fall about 22% by 2029 — from 4.0 in 2024 to a central estimate of 3.1 (95% range 1.7–4.6). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±9%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
-22%Change by 2029
3.1Projected 2029 index
1.7–4.695% range
±9%Backtest error
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| 2026 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 4.9 |
| 2027 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 4.8 |
| 2028 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 4.7 |
| 2029 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 4.6 |
Member Species In Minnesota
| Western Meadowlark | Icteridae | -93% |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Passerellidae | -68% |
| Henslow's Sparrow | Passerellidae | -61% |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Icteridae | -50% |
| Vesper Sparrow | Passerellidae | -48% |
| Greater Prairie-Chicken | Phasianidae | -46% |
| Savannah Sparrow | Passerellidae | -39% |
| Bobolink | Icteridae | -34% |
| Northern Bobwhite | Odontophoridae | -34% |
| Dickcissel | Cardinalidae | -20% |
| Sedge Wren | Troglodytidae | +22% |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Phasianidae | +40% |
| Lark Sparrow | Passerellidae | +47% |
| Horned Lark | Alaudidae | +178% |
| Upland Sandpiper | Scolopacidae | +507% |
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.