BirdAnalyst
Species · BCR 11 · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Red-bellied Woodpecker In Prairie Potholes

All regionsPrairie PotholesForest birds

Red-bellied Woodpecker in Prairie Potholes has surged: up 129% on the route-weighted index since 1970.

+129%Since 1970
45Routes In Region
55Years

Notable Signals

long arc increasecomputed index

Red-bellied Woodpecker has surged in Prairie Potholes: up 129% on the route-weighted index since 1970.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Red-bellied Woodpecker in Prairie Potholes is projected to fall about 31% by 2029 — from 0.48 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.33 (95% range 0.16–0.50). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±48.7%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

-31%Change by 2029
0.33Projected 2029 index
0.16–0.5095% range
±48.7%Backtest error
19672029
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
20250.310.140.48
20260.320.140.49
20270.320.150.49
20280.330.150.50
20290.330.160.50

Routes In Prairie Potholes

Routes recording Red-bellied Woodpecker in Prairie Potholes.
PantherIOWA82024
CourtlandMINNESOTA72024
CooperstownNORTH-DAKOTA72024
TracyMINNESOTA42024
ScrantonIOWA32023
HartlandMINNESOTA32013
Eagle CreekNEBRASKA32022
MccallsburgIOWA22024
DawsonMINNESOTA22023
AppletonMINNESOTA22023
MidwayNEBRASKA22023
WashingtonIOWA12024
KanawhaIOWA12017
ZearingIOWA11994
ClareIOWA12019
GarnerIOWA11990
TitonkaIOWA12024
BurchinalIOWA12008
HuntleyMINNESOTA12024
ChandlerMINNESOTA12023
ArlingtonMINNESOTA12024
Redwood FallMINNESOTA12014
MaynardMINNESOTA12015
ChokioMINNESOTA12019
TenneyMINNESOTA12010

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