Rankings · BBS 2026 Release · 1966–2025

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	-98%	1968
2	LeConte's Thrasher	Mimidae	Arid-land birds	-97%	1970
3	American Black Duck	Anatidae	Waterfowl	-95%	1968
4	Western Gull	Laridae	Wetland birds	-89%	1970
5	Least Tern	Laridae	Wetland birds	-88%	1968
6	Northern Bobwhite	Odontophoridae	Game birds	-87%	1968
7	Black Skimmer	Laridae	Wetland birds	-85%	1968
8	House Sparrow	Passeridae	Generalists	-81%	1968
9	Eastern Meadowlark	Icteridae	Grassland birds	-81%	1968
10	Henslow's Sparrow	Passerellidae	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	-79%	1968
14	Black-billed Cuckoo	Cuculidae	Forest birds	-78%	1968
15	Herring Gull	Laridae	Wetland birds	-77%	1968
16	Field Sparrow	Passerellidae	Forest birds	-77%	1968
17	Chimney Swift	Apodidae	Aerial insectivores	-76%	1968
18	Royal Tern	Laridae	Wetland birds	-75%	1968
19	Bank Swallow	Hirundinidae	Aerial insectivores	-73%	1968
20	Baird's Sparrow	Passerellidae	Grassland birds	-73%	1969
21	Loggerhead Shrike	Laniidae	Grassland birds	-73%	1968
22	Western Grebe	Podicipedidae	Wetland birds	-70%	1988
23	Bobolink	Icteridae	Grassland birds	-69%	1968
24	White-throated Sparrow	Passerellidae	Forest birds	-68%	1968
25	Chestnut-collared Longspur	Calcariidae	Grassland birds	-67%	1969

Fastest-Increasing Birds

Species expanding fastest, including recoveries and invasions.

Species ranked by population trend, fastest increase first.
#
1	Canada Goose	Anatidae	Waterfowl	105×	1968
2	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Regulidae	Forest birds	12×	1968
3	Common Raven	Corvidae	Generalists	+868%	1968
4	Townsend's Warbler	Parulidae	Forest birds	+853%	1970
5	Lincoln's Sparrow	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+791%	1968
6	Dusky Flycatcher	Tyrannidae	Aerial insectivores	+757%	1970
7	Wilson's Warbler	Parulidae	Forest birds	+700%	1968
8	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sittidae	Forest birds	+676%	1968
9	Fox Sparrow	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+650%	1970
10	Swainson's Thrush	Turdidae	Forest birds	+629%	1968
11	Wilson's Snipe	Scolopacidae	Shorebirds	+619%	1968
12	Western Tanager	Cardinalidae	Forest birds	+598%	1969
13	Varied Thrush	Turdidae	Forest birds	+591%	1970
14	Brewer's Sparrow	Passerellidae	Arid-land birds	+568%	1969
15	House Finch	Fringillidae	Generalists	+515%	1968
16	White-faced Ibis	Threskiornithidae	Wetland birds	+510%	1969
17	Spotted Towhee	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+485%	1969
18	Pacific Wren	Troglodytidae	Forest birds	+468%	1970
19	Lazuli Bunting	Cardinalidae	Forest birds	+466%	1969
20	Pine Siskin	Fringillidae	Forest birds	+461%	1968
21	Green-tailed Towhee	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+434%	1970
22	Black-headed Grosbeak	Cardinalidae	Forest birds	+426%	1969
23	Rock Wren	Troglodytidae	Forest birds	+405%	1969
24	Long-billed Curlew	Scolopacidae	Shorebirds	+401%	1969
25	White-crowned Sparrow	Passerellidae	Forest birds	+365%	1970

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	167
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	Nebish	MN	152
15	Mcgregor	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	Rib Lake	WI	148
23	Yreka	CA	147
24	Naples	ID	147
25	Couderay	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	249
3	New Mexico	264	88
4	Arizona	262	91
5	Colorado	261	159
6	Montana	253	116
7	Oregon	251	145
8	Wyoming	249	139
9	Washington	247	114
10	Alaska	245	135
11	Utah	240	116
12	Minnesota	239	92
13	Idaho	235	66
14	Wisconsin	231	98
15	Nevada	230	56
16	New York	225	129
17	South Dakota	224	65
18	Oklahoma	211	71
19	Michigan	210	108
20	Nebraska	209	76
21	North Dakota	209	51
22	Kansas	201	67
23	Maryland	197	76
24	North Carolina	194	112
25	Virginia	194	88
26	Maine	192	78
27	Pennsylvania	188	138
28	Illinois	185	105
29	Alabama	184	109
30	Florida	184	127
31	Ohio	183	89
32	Vermont	183	26
33	New Jersey	181	44
34	Indiana	178	69
35	Louisiana	178	100
36	Massachusetts	176	32
37	New Hampshire	176	26
38	Georgia	171	111
39	West Virginia	166	64
40	Iowa	165	39
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	153	74
48	Kentucky	151	64
49	Rhode Island	141	7