Rankings · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Bird Population Rankings

Four leaderboards from the USGS Breeding Bird Survey. Click any column heading to re-sort, or jump straight to a board below.

Steepest-Declining Birds

Species with the steepest long-term declines across surveyed states.

Species ranked by population trend, steepest decline first.
#
1	Common Tern	Laridae	Wetland birds	-97%	1968
2	LeConte's Thrasher	Mimidae	Arid-land birds	-97%	1970
3	American Black Duck	Anatidae	Waterfowl	-96%	1968
4	Least Tern	Laridae	Wetland birds	-90%	1968
5	Northern Bobwhite	Odontophoridae	Game birds	-88%	1968
6	Western Gull	Laridae	Wetland birds	-86%	1970
7	Black Skimmer	Laridae	Wetland birds	-82%	1968
8	Henslow's Sparrow	Passerellidae	Grassland birds	-82%	1968
9	House Sparrow	Passeridae	Generalists	-82%	1968
10	Eastern Meadowlark	Icteridae	Grassland birds	-81%	1968
11	Common Grackle	Icteridae	Generalists	-81%	1968
12	Eastern Whip-poor-will	Caprimulgidae	Aerial insectivores	-79%	1968
13	Mottled Duck	Anatidae	Waterfowl	-78%	1968
14	Field Sparrow	Passerellidae	Forest birds	-77%	1968
15	Chimney Swift	Apodidae	Aerial insectivores	-75%	1968
16	Black-billed Cuckoo	Cuculidae	Forest birds	-75%	1968
17	Loggerhead Shrike	Laniidae	Grassland birds	-74%	1968
18	Bank Swallow	Hirundinidae	Aerial insectivores	-74%	1968
19	Western Grebe	Podicipedidae	Wetland birds	-71%	1988
20	Baird's Sparrow	Passerellidae	Grassland birds	-71%	1969
21	Lark Bunting	Passerellidae	Grassland birds	-70%	1969
22	Herring Gull	Laridae	Wetland birds	-70%	1968
23	Bobolink	Icteridae	Grassland birds	-70%	1968
24	Royal Tern	Laridae	Wetland birds	-70%	1968
25	Chestnut-collared Longspur	Calcariidae	Grassland birds	-68%	1969

Fastest-Increasing Birds

Species expanding fastest, including recoveries and invasions.

Species ranked by population trend, fastest increase first.
#
1	Canada Goose	Anatidae	Waterfowl	111×	1968
2	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Regulidae	Forest birds	12×	1968
3	Townsend's Warbler	Parulidae	Forest birds	+871%	1970
4	Common Raven	Corvidae	Generalists	+829%	1968
5	Lincoln's Sparrow	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+774%	1968
6	Wilson's Warbler	Parulidae	Forest birds	+746%	1968
7	Dusky Flycatcher	Tyrannidae	Aerial insectivores	+692%	1970
8	Fox Sparrow	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+680%	1970
9	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sittidae	Forest birds	+664%	1968
10	Wilson's Snipe	Scolopacidae	Shorebirds	+662%	1968
11	Varied Thrush	Turdidae	Forest birds	+647%	1970
12	Swainson's Thrush	Turdidae	Forest birds	+633%	1968
13	Western Tanager	Cardinalidae	Forest birds	+549%	1969
14	Brewer's Sparrow	Passerellidae	Arid-land birds	+504%	1969
15	House Finch	Fringillidae	Generalists	+501%	1968
16	Pacific Wren	Troglodytidae	Forest birds	+488%	1970
17	Spotted Towhee	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+433%	1969
18	Long-billed Curlew	Scolopacidae	Shorebirds	+419%	1969
19	Blue-headed Vireo	Vireonidae	Forest birds	+411%	1968
20	White-faced Ibis	Threskiornithidae	Wetland birds	+385%	1969
21	Black-headed Grosbeak	Cardinalidae	Forest birds	+384%	1969
22	Pine Siskin	Fringillidae	Forest birds	+384%	1968
23	Green-tailed Towhee	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+384%	1970
24	Lazuli Bunting	Cardinalidae	Forest birds	+382%	1969
25	Rock Wren	Troglodytidae	Forest birds	+368%	1969

Most Species-Rich Routes

BBS survey routes recording the most species.

Survey routes ranked by number of species recorded, most first.
#
1	Macdoel	CA	169
2	Nubieber	CA	167
3	Likely	CA	163
4	Lude	MN	161
5	Modoc Point	OR	160
6	Manawa	WI	160
7	Loraine	WI	156
8	Mather	WI	156
9	Kalispell	MT	154
10	Oconto Falls	WI	154
11	Debs	MN	153
12	Bayfield	WI	153
13	Washington I	WI	153
14	Mcgregor	MN	152
15	Nebish	MN	151
16	Dresser	WI	150
17	Turtle Mtns	ND	149
18	Cumberland	WI	149
19	Casco	WI	149
20	Gilchrist	MI	148
21	Phillips	WI	148
22	Yreka	CA	147
23	Naples	ID	147
24	Couderay	WI	147
25	Rib Lake	WI	147

States by Diversity

States ranked by species recorded and routes run.

States ranked by number of species recorded, most first.
#
1	California	317	272
2	Texas	316	247
3	New Mexico	262	88
4	Arizona	261	90
5	Colorado	257	158
6	Montana	253	116
7	Oregon	250	143
8	Wyoming	249	139
9	Washington	247	114
10	Alaska	244	135
11	Utah	240	116
12	Minnesota	238	92
13	Idaho	235	66
14	Nevada	232	56
15	Wisconsin	231	98
16	New York	225	129
17	South Dakota	223	65
18	Oklahoma	211	71
19	Michigan	210	108
20	Nebraska	209	76
21	North Dakota	208	51
22	Kansas	201	67
23	Maryland	197	76
24	Virginia	194	88
25	North Carolina	193	112
26	Maine	192	78
27	Pennsylvania	188	138
28	Alabama	184	109
29	Illinois	184	105
30	Florida	183	127
31	Vermont	183	26
32	New Jersey	182	44
33	Ohio	182	89
34	Louisiana	177	100
35	Indiana	176	69
36	Massachusetts	176	32
37	New Hampshire	176	26
38	Georgia	170	111
39	Iowa	165	39
40	West Virginia	165	63
41	Missouri	164	95
42	Connecticut	163	20
43	Tennessee	161	55
44	Arkansas	159	62
45	Delaware	159	17
46	South Carolina	157	51
47	Mississippi	152	74
48	Kentucky	149	64
49	Rhode Island	141	7