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

Yellow Rail In Prairie Potholes

All regions Prairie Potholes Wetland birds

Yellow Rail in Prairie Potholes has edged down: down 16% on the route-weighted index since 1982.

-16%Since 1982

11Routes In Region

19Years

Notable Signals

No notable trend signals for Yellow Rail in Prairie Potholes. See the full index history below.

Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Yellow Rail in Prairie Potholes is projected to stay roughly flat through 2021, near 0.04 (95% range 0.00–0.11). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±142.4%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

n/aChange by 2021

0.04Projected 2021 index

0.00–0.1195% range

±142.4%Backtest error

Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.

Year	Projected index	95% high
2017	0.04	0.11
2018	0.04	0.11
2019	0.04	0.11
2020	0.04	0.11
2021	0.04	0.11

Routes In Prairie Potholes

Routes recording Yellow Rail in Prairie Potholes.

Badger	MINNESOTA	6	2005
Emerado	NORTH-DAKOTA	3	1984
Horsehead Lk	NORTH-DAKOTA	3	2010
Rolla	NORTH-DAKOTA	3	2005
Lake Bronson	MINNESOTA	2	1999
Douglas Crk	NORTH-DAKOTA	2	1995
Wylie	MINNESOTA	1	1984
Erie	MINNESOTA	1	1984
Grygla	MINNESOTA	1	2005
Regan	NORTH-DAKOTA	1	2016
Denbigh	NORTH-DAKOTA	1	2009

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