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

Northern Cardinal In Eastern Tallgrass Prairie

All regionsEastern Tallgrass PrairieGeneralists

Northern Cardinal in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie has surged: up 82% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+82%Since 1968
277Routes In Region
58Years

Notable Signals

long arc increasecomputed index

Northern Cardinal has surged in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie: up 82% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Northern Cardinal in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 26 (95% range 23–29). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±11.6%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-6%Change by 2029
26Projected 2029 index
23–2995% range
±11.6%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
2025252228
2026262329
2027262329
2028262329
2029262329

Routes In Eastern Tallgrass Prairie

Routes recording Northern Cardinal in Eastern Tallgrass Prairie.
HarveysburgOHIO991996
KeetonvilleOKLAHOMA992022
KingsvilleMISSOURI792024
PittsburgKANSAS782021
Mt VernonILLINOIS752024
WrefordKANSAS742024
AshleyOHIO742018
EmdenMISSOURI732024
MurdockNEBRASKA702024
Red RockIOWA692024
BelleviewILLINOIS682024
BucyrusKANSAS682024
MoselleMISSOURI682024
KearneyMISSOURI672024
Trading PostKANSAS642024
DarrtownOHIO632021
PeoriaOKLAHOMA632023
MiddletownINDIANA622024
MelroseKANSAS622023
MarionOHIO612023
MilfordMISSOURI602024
FrankfordMISSOURI592024
FrazierMISSOURI582024
OlatheKANSAS572021
GalesburgKANSAS552024

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