Bushtit
Bushtit has edged down: down 22% on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Bushtit
The Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) is a North American member of the Bushtits (Aegithalidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4–4.5 in long (10–11 cm) — a tiny 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 535 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 11 states, most concentrated in the Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau.
- Family
- Aegithalidae · Forest birds
Notable Bushtit Trends
No notable trend signals for Bushtit. See the full index history below.
Bushtit Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Bushtit is projected to fall about 15% by 2029 — from 0.27 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.23 (95% range 0.00–0.45). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±11.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.24 | 0.02 | 0.47 |
| 2026 | 0.24 | 0.01 | 0.47 |
| 2027 | 0.23 | 0.01 | 0.46 |
| 2028 | 0.23 | 0.00 | 0.46 |
| 2029 | 0.23 | 0.00 | 0.45 |
Where the Bushtit Is Detected
BBS routes recording Bushtit, sized by most recent count.
Bushtit Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -17% | 1970 | 41 |
| California | -49% | 1970 | 195 |
| Colorado | +261% | 1982 | 40 |
| Idaho | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Nevada | -29% | 1993 | 20 |
| New Mexico | -12% | 1970 | 44 |
| Oregon | -79% | 1970 | 72 |
| Texas | +7% | 1972 | 35 |
| Utah | -50% | 1985 | 50 |
| Washington | -37% | 1970 | 32 |
| Wyoming | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
Bushtit Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -63% | 1970 | 100 |
| Great Basin | -32% | 1970 | 82 |
| Northern Rockies | -70% | 1978 | 14 |
| Sierra Nevada | -71% | 1970 | 27 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -45% | 1970 | 120 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | +202% | 1986 | 5 |
| Edwards Plateau | -6% | 1980 | 12 |
| Coastal California | -50% | 1970 | 106 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -48% | 1971 | 11 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +10% | 1970 | 29 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | +3% | 1973 | 19 |
Bushtit Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 22% since 1970.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.