BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Common Yellowthroat

ParulidaeForest birdsGeothlypis trichas

Common Yellowthroat has declined: down 31% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-31%Since 1968TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
3,428RoutesSurvey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
58Years SurveyedYears surveyedNumber of years with at least one standard-protocol run in this geography. A longer record makes the trend more reliable.Full methodology →

About the Common Yellowthroat

A small, masked warbler of marshes and wet thickets, the Common Yellowthroat skulks low in dense cover and sings a rolling 'witchety-witchety' song.

Size
4.5–5 in long, about 0.4 oz (11–13 cm, 10 g)
Habitat
Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
Diet
Insects and spiders gleaned from low, dense vegetation.
Range
Recorded on 3,428 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
Family
Parulidae · Forest birds
Conservation
Least Concern

Notable Common Yellowthroat TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

No notable trend signals for Common Yellowthroat. See the full index history below.

Common Yellowthroat Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Common Yellowthroat is projected to fall about 16% by 2029 — from 7.5 in 2024 to a central estimate of 6.4 (95% range 5.2–7.5). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±8.7%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-16%Change by 2029TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
6.4Projected 2029 indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →
5.2–7.595% range95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
±8.7%Backtest errorBacktest errorTypical error when we hold out the most recent years, forecast them, and compare to what actually happened. Lower means a more trustworthy projection.Full methodology →
If the recent trend holds, Common Yellowthroat is projected to fall about 16% by 2029 — from 7.5 in 2024 to a central estimate of 6.4 (95% range 5.2–7.5). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±8.7%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.19662029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →95% low95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →95% high95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
20256.65.57.7
20266.65.47.7
20276.55.47.6
20286.45.37.5
20296.45.27.5

Where the Common Yellowthroat Is Detected

BBS routes recording Common Yellowthroat, sized by most recent count.

Common Yellowthroat Population Trend by State

Common Yellowthroat population trend by state.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Alabama-39%1968108
Alaska-65%198726
Arizona-15%197027
Arkansas-73%196961
California+922%1970123
Colorado+168%197278
Connecticut-20%196820
Delaware+72%196817
Florida-12%1968120
Georgia-5%1968111
Idaho+262%197240
Illinois+122%1968105
Indiana+32%196869
Iowa-28%196939
Kansas+89%196956
Kentucky-16%196864
Louisiana-7%196998
Maine-16%196878
Maryland+2%196876
Massachusetts-12%196832
Michigan+37%1968108
Minnesota+52%196992
Mississippi-39%196874
Missouri+17%196995
Montana-5%1970101
Nebraska+27%196972
Nevada+303%199223
New Hampshire-20%196826
New Jersey-12%196844
New Mexico+131%197334
New York+34%1968129
North Carolina-46%1968109
North Dakota+63%196951
Ohio+3%196889
Oklahoma-36%196949
Oregon+612%197093
Pennsylvania+44%1968136
Rhode Island-1%19687
South Carolina-72%196851
South Dakota+7%196961
Tennessee-44%196853
Texas-20%1969104
Utah+333%198245
Vermont+37%196826
Virginia-43%196886
Washington+269%197083
West Virginia-61%196863
Wisconsin+50%196898
Wyoming+93%197078

Common Yellowthroat Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Common Yellowthroat population trend by Bird Conservation Region.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
BCR 4+171%19998
Northern Pacific Rainforest+307%1970117
Great Basin17×1970140
Northern Rockies-21%1970151
Prairie Potholes+20%1969122
Boreal Hardwood Transition+35%1968127
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain+32%196886
Atlantic Northern Forest-2%1968156
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau+339%1970104
Badlands and Prairies-12%1969108
Shortgrass Prairie-20%196952
Central Mixed Grass Prairie+145%196989
Oaks and Prairies-64%196938
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie+39%1968278
Prairie Hardwood Transition+64%1968161
Central Hardwoods-14%1968165
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas-54%1969108
Mississippi Alluvial Valley-67%196873
Southeastern Coastal Plain-12%1968345
Appalachian Mountains-20%1968398
Piedmont-39%1968170
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast-14%1968164
Peninsular Florida-24%196875
Coastal California20×197067
Sonoran and Mojave Deserts12×197030
Sierra Madre Occidental-91%197014
Chihuahuan Desert+213%197723
Tamaulipan Brushlands+62%20028
Gulf Coastal Prairie+200%196941

Common Yellowthroat Conservation Status

Least Concern

The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it down about 31% 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.