Golden-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler has declined: down 41% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Golden-winged Warbler
The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is a North American member of the Wood-Warblers (Parulidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4.5–5.5 in long (11–14 cm) — a small, active 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 417 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 20 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
- Family
- Parulidae · Forest birds
Notable Golden-winged Warbler Trends
No notable trend signals for Golden-winged Warbler. See the full index history below.
Golden-winged Warbler Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Golden-winged Warbler is projected to fall about 60% by 2029 — from 0.08 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.03 (95% range 0.00–0.07). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±55.6%, with 40% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| 2026 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| 2027 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| 2028 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| 2029 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.07 |
Where the Golden-winged Warbler Is Detected
BBS routes recording Golden-winged Warbler, sized by most recent count.
Golden-winged Warbler Population Trend by State
| Connecticut | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Georgia | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Illinois | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Indiana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Kentucky | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Maryland | -38% | 1970 | 10 |
| Massachusetts | -58% | 1969 | 10 |
| Michigan | -40% | 1969 | 57 |
| Minnesota | +185% | 1969 | 44 |
| New Hampshire | +18% | 1968 | 6 |
| New Jersey | -73% | 1975 | 6 |
| New York | -14% | 1968 | 63 |
| North Carolina | -83% | 1971 | 10 |
| Ohio | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Pennsylvania | -96% | 1968 | 59 |
| Tennessee | -49% | 1968 | 7 |
| Vermont | +6% | 1981 | 7 |
| Virginia | -85% | 1971 | 10 |
| West Virginia | -96% | 1968 | 46 |
| Wisconsin | +20% | 1968 | 65 |
Golden-winged Warbler Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +130% | 1968 | 104 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | -23% | 1969 | 38 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | -84% | 1970 | 15 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -57% | 1968 | 61 |
| Appalachian Mountains | -98% | 1968 | 177 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | -53% | 1968 | 16 |
Golden-winged Warbler Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 41% 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.