BirdAnalyst
Species · BCR 22 · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Killdeer In Eastern Tallgrass Prairie

All regionsEastern Tallgrass PrairieShorebirds

Killdeer in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie has surged: up 379% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+379%Since 1968
278Routes In Region
58Years

Notable Signals

long arc increasecomputed index

Killdeer has surged in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie: up 379% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Killdeer in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie is projected to rise about 24% by 2029 — from 18 in 2024 to a central estimate of 22 (95% range 19–26). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±19.2%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+24%Change by 2029
22Projected 2029 index
19–2695% range
±19.2%Backtest error
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 index95% low95% high
2025211725
2026221826
2027221826
2028221826
2029221926

Routes In Eastern Tallgrass Prairie

Routes recording Killdeer in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie.
MilfordILLINOIS712023
Cedar ValleyIOWA681997
YaleILLINOIS582024
GalvestonINDIANA552024
TiptonIOWA542024
StetMISSOURI541995
W LafayetteINDIANA522024
GazaIOWA522023
JanesvilleILLINOIS492024
SextonINDIANA472024
MinonkILLINOIS452024
SenecaILLINOIS452024
DecaturINDIANA442024
CosmosOHIO442019
MarshallILLINOIS432024
NewportOHIO431994
StillwellILLINOIS422024
GreenviewILLINOIS422024
HarveysburgOHIO421996
MilroyINDIANA412024
No KentonOHIO412024
KunkleOHIO402024
MonticelloINDIANA392024
RaymondWISCONSIN392024
DaileyILLINOIS382022

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.