Western Kingbird
Western Kingbird has increased: up 49% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Western Kingbird
The Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) is a North American member of the Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the aerial insectivores.
- Size
- 4.5–9 in long (12–23 cm) — a small to medium flycatcher (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open airspace over fields, water and towns; nests in cavities, earthen banks or on structures.
- Diet
- Flying insects caught on the wing.
- Range
- Recorded on 1,607 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 29 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Tyrannidae · Aerial insectivores
Notable Western Kingbird Trends
No notable trend signals for Western Kingbird. See the full index history below.
Western Kingbird Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Western Kingbird is projected to rise about 38% by 2029 — from 2.3 in 2024 to a central estimate of 3.2 (95% range 2.3–4.1). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±50%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 4.1 |
| 2026 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 4.1 |
| 2027 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 4.1 |
| 2028 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 4.1 |
| 2029 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 4.1 |
Where the Western Kingbird Is Detected
BBS routes recording Western Kingbird, sized by most recent count.
Western Kingbird Population Trend by State
| Alaska | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Arizona | -74% | 1970 | 81 |
| Arkansas | +95% | 2002 | 5 |
| California | +7% | 1970 | 219 |
| Colorado | -7% | 1970 | 125 |
| Idaho | +157% | 1970 | 46 |
| Illinois | insufficient data | n/a | 4 |
| Indiana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Iowa | -72% | 1969 | 14 |
| Kansas | -71% | 1969 | 64 |
| Louisiana | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Michigan | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Minnesota | -63% | 1969 | 34 |
| Mississippi | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Missouri | -80% | 1971 | 21 |
| Montana | +74% | 1970 | 81 |
| Nebraska | +10% | 1969 | 71 |
| Nevada | +54% | 1972 | 48 |
| New Mexico | +61% | 1972 | 83 |
| North Dakota | +55% | 1969 | 50 |
| Oklahoma | -35% | 1969 | 62 |
| Oregon | -0% | 1970 | 87 |
| South Dakota | -71% | 1969 | 59 |
| Tennessee | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Texas | +824% | 1969 | 205 |
| Utah | +228% | 1970 | 91 |
| Washington | -20% | 1970 | 66 |
| Wisconsin | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Wyoming | +142% | 1970 | 82 |
Western Kingbird Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -42% | 1970 | 52 |
| Great Basin | +30% | 1970 | 226 |
| Northern Rockies | +238% | 1970 | 114 |
| Prairie Potholes | -35% | 1969 | 106 |
| Sierra Nevada | +27% | 1972 | 20 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | -19% | 1970 | 181 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +16% | 1969 | 126 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | +181% | 1969 | 137 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -65% | 1969 | 129 |
| Edwards Plateau | +326% | 1973 | 19 |
| Oaks and Prairies | +615% | 1969 | 72 |
| Eastern Tallgrass Prairie | -65% | 1969 | 69 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | -48% | 1970 | 11 |
| Central Hardwoods | +2% | 2006 | 8 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | -41% | 1978 | 15 |
| Coastal California | +25% | 1970 | 108 |
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -59% | 1970 | 83 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -82% | 1970 | 32 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | +607% | 1969 | 54 |
| Tamaulipan Brushlands | 24× | 1971 | 25 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | +45% | 1984 | 13 |
Western Kingbird Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 49% since 1969. Aerial insectivores have fallen sharply across the continent, a decline widely linked to dwindling insect prey.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.