BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Fish Crow

CorvidaeGeneralistsCorvus ossifragus

Fish Crow has held roughly steady: down 8% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

-8%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 →
1,096RoutesSurvey 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 Fish Crow

The Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) is a North American member of the Crows, Jays & Magpies (Corvidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the generalists.

Size
10–27.5 in long (25–70 cm) — a medium to large 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 1,096 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 31 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
Family
Corvidae · Generalists

Notable Fish Crow 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 Fish Crow. See the full index history below.

Fish Crow Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Fish Crow is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 1.00 (95% range 0.69–1.3). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±2.4%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+2%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 →
1.00Projected 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 →
0.69–1.395% 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 →
±2.4%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, Fish Crow is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 1.00 (95% range 0.69–1.3). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±2.4%, with 100% 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 →
20251.00.691.3
20261.000.691.3
20271.000.691.3
20281.000.691.3
20291.000.691.3

Where the Fish Crow Is Detected

BBS routes recording Fish Crow, sized by most recent count.

Fish Crow Population Trend by State

Fish Crow 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-58%196888
Arkansas+393%196953
Connecticut15×198214
Delaware+82%196817
Florida-40%1968114
Georgia+18%196899
Illinois+824%197225
Indianainsufficient datan/a2
Iowainsufficient datan/a1
Kansas+400%201010
Kentucky+203%19697
Louisiana+114%196987
Maineinsufficient datan/a3
Maryland+240%196868
Massachusetts+764%199215
Mississippi+135%196852
Missouri15×197534
New Hampshire+131%19944
New Jersey+327%196839
New York+192%196822
North Carolina+244%196888
Ohioinsufficient datan/a1
Oklahoma+753%198531
Pennsylvania+172%196870
Rhode Islandinsufficient datan/a4
South Carolina+200%196845
Tennessee+871%197012
Texas+412%197726
Vermontinsufficient datan/a1
Virginia+154%196857
West Virginia-46%19697

Fish Crow Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Fish Crow 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 →
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain+102%199312
Oaks and Prairies+192%199415
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie24×199936
Central Hardwoods41×197157
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas+202%196997
Mississippi Alluvial Valley+174%196850
Southeastern Coastal Plain-9%1968325
Appalachian Mountains+461%1968116
Piedmont+276%1968152
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast+190%1968143
Peninsular Florida-47%196869
Gulf Coastal Prairie+107%196920

Fish Crow Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it down about 8% 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.