Bachman's Sparrow
Bachman's Sparrow has fallen sharply: down 54% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Bachman's Sparrow
The Bachman's Sparrow (Peucaea aestivalis) is a North American member of the New World Sparrows (Passerellidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–7.5 in long (12–19 cm) — a small songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 323 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 15 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Passerellidae · Forest birds
Notable Bachman's Sparrow Trends
Bachman's Sparrow has fallen sharply in surveyed states: down 54% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Bachman's Sparrow Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Bachman's Sparrow is projected to fall about 47% by 2029 — from 0.10 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.06 (95% range 0.00–0.14). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±37.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| 2026 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| 2027 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| 2028 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| 2029 | 0.06 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
Where the Bachman's Sparrow Is Detected
BBS routes recording Bachman's Sparrow, sized by most recent count.
Bachman's Sparrow Population Trend by State
| Alabama | -3% | 1969 | 34 |
| Arkansas | -56% | 1969 | 19 |
| Florida | -48% | 1968 | 78 |
| Georgia | +162% | 1968 | 63 |
| Kentucky | insufficient data | n/a | 13 |
| Louisiana | -95% | 1969 | 30 |
| Mississippi | +50% | 1970 | 18 |
| Missouri | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| North Carolina | -7% | 1968 | 14 |
| Ohio | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Oklahoma | +208% | 1981 | 7 |
| South Carolina | -65% | 1969 | 24 |
| Tennessee | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Texas | -83% | 1970 | 14 |
| Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
Bachman's Sparrow Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Central Hardwoods | -78% | 1968 | 17 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | -78% | 1969 | 58 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | -6% | 1968 | 165 |
| Appalachian Mountains | -51% | 1970 | 12 |
| Piedmont | -43% | 1968 | 22 |
| Peninsular Florida | -57% | 1968 | 42 |
Bachman's Sparrow Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 54% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.