Barrow's Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye has surged: up 730% on the route-weighted index since 1972.
About the Barrow's Goldeneye
The Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) is a North American member of the Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl (Anatidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the waterfowl.
- Size
- 12–43.5 in long (30–110 cm) — a medium to large waterfowl (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and sheltered coastal waters.
- Diet
- Aquatic plants, seeds and invertebrates, dabbled at the surface or dived for.
- Range
- Recorded on 75 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 7 states, most concentrated in the Northern Rockies.
- Family
- Anatidae · Waterfowl
Notable Barrow's Goldeneye Trends
No notable trend signals for Barrow's Goldeneye. See the full index history below.
Barrow's Goldeneye Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Barrow's Goldeneye is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.02 (95% range 0.00–0.06). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±78.9%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| 2026 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| 2027 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| 2028 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| 2029 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
Where the Barrow's Goldeneye Is Detected
BBS routes recording Barrow's Goldeneye, sized by most recent count.
Barrow's Goldeneye Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -28% | 1984 | 29 |
| Colorado | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Idaho | -91% | 1999 | 5 |
| Montana | -86% | 1985 | 8 |
| Oregon | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Washington | +27% | 1973 | 13 |
| Wyoming | +112% | 1979 | 16 |
Barrow's Goldeneye Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 4 | -73% | 1987 | 20 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -2% | 1996 | 9 |
| Great Basin | +53% | 1973 | 13 |
| Northern Rockies | +13% | 1977 | 28 |
Barrow's Goldeneye Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 730% since 1972.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.