BirdAnalyst
Guild · Pennsylvania · BBS 2026 Release · 1966–2025

Grassland Birds In Pennsylvania

All statesPennsylvania

8 species in this guild. As a group they are -72%Guild trendA mean-index aggregate across the species in this group — the structural direction of the guild, with individual-species noise smoothed out.Full methodology → since 1968.

Guild SignalsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

guild collapsecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Grassland birds as a group have fallen sharply in Pennsylvania, down 72% since 1968.

Grassland Birds In Pennsylvania Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Grassland birds in Pennsylvania is projected to fall about 38% by 2030 — from 1.1 in 2025 to a central estimate of 0.69 (95% range 0.00–1.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±21.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-38%Change by 2030TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
0.69Projected 2030 indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →
0.00–1.495% range95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
±21.4%Backtest errorBacktest errorTypical error when we hold out the most recent years, forecast them, and compare to what actually happened. Lower means a more trustworthy projection.Full methodology →
If the recent trend holds, Grassland birds in Pennsylvania is projected to fall about 38% by 2030 — from 1.1 in 2025 to a central estimate of 0.69 (95% range 0.00–1.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±21.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.19662030
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →95% low95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →95% high95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
20260.840.141.5
20270.800.111.5
20280.760.071.5
20290.720.031.4
20300.690.001.4

Member Species In Pennsylvania

Grassland birds species in Pennsylvania.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
Vesper SparrowPasserellidae-96%
Upland SandpiperScolopacidae-95%
Henslow's SparrowPasserellidae-94%
Eastern MeadowlarkIcteridae-89%
Grasshopper SparrowPasserellidae-87%
Savannah SparrowPasserellidae-69%
Horned LarkAlaudidae-58%
BobolinkIcteridae-34%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14.