Brewer's Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird has surged: up 93% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Brewer's Blackbird
The Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) is a North American member of the Blackbirds & Orioles (Icteridae). In this analysis it is grouped with the generalists.
- Size
- 6.5–17 in long (16–43 cm) — a small to medium songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- A broad range of open and wooded habitats, often near people.
- Diet
- An opportunistic mix of insects, seeds, fruit and scraps.
- Range
- Recorded on 1,407 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 20 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Icteridae · Generalists
Notable Brewer's Blackbird Trends
Brewer's Blackbird has surged in surveyed states: up 93% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Brewer's Blackbird Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Brewer's Blackbird is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 4.3 (95% range 0.02–8.6). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±33.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.6 | 0.29 | 8.9 |
| 2026 | 4.5 | 0.22 | 8.8 |
| 2027 | 4.5 | 0.15 | 8.8 |
| 2028 | 4.4 | 0.09 | 8.7 |
| 2029 | 4.3 | 0.02 | 8.6 |
Where the Brewer's Blackbird Is Detected
BBS routes recording Brewer's Blackbird, sized by most recent count.
Brewer's Blackbird Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -61% | 1970 | 24 |
| California | -70% | 1970 | 233 |
| Colorado | -55% | 1970 | 142 |
| Idaho | -80% | 1970 | 57 |
| Indiana | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Michigan | -85% | 1969 | 43 |
| Minnesota | -69% | 1969 | 72 |
| Montana | -55% | 1970 | 108 |
| Nebraska | +122% | 1981 | 10 |
| Nevada | -12% | 1970 | 45 |
| New Mexico | -26% | 1970 | 33 |
| North Dakota | +207% | 1969 | 51 |
| Oklahoma | +30% | 1972 | 7 |
| Oregon | -56% | 1970 | 129 |
| South Dakota | +308% | 1969 | 46 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Utah | -57% | 1970 | 94 |
| Washington | -42% | 1970 | 95 |
| Wisconsin | -84% | 1968 | 77 |
| Wyoming | -52% | 1970 | 134 |
Brewer's Blackbird Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -73% | 1970 | 97 |
| Great Basin | -28% | 1970 | 247 |
| Northern Rockies | -62% | 1970 | 204 |
| Prairie Potholes | +118% | 1969 | 93 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | -78% | 1968 | 98 |
| Sierra Nevada | -55% | 1970 | 37 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -33% | 1970 | 192 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +24% | 1969 | 131 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -88% | 1970 | 61 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | -78% | 1971 | 5 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -79% | 1968 | 65 |
| Coastal California | -77% | 1970 | 118 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -97% | 1970 | 32 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -76% | 1970 | 11 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -61% | 1974 | 8 |
Brewer's Blackbird Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 93% 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.