BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Delaware Breeding Birds

159 species recorded across 17 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Delaware Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in Delaware: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Eastern Meadowlark has collapsed in Delaware: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Common Tern has collapsed in Delaware: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Common Nighthawk has collapsed in Delaware: down 89% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc declinecomputed index

Least Tern has collapsed in Delaware: down 88% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Eastern Whip-poor-will has collapsed in Delaware: down 86% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Delaware

-90%

Game birds

3 species
-28%

Generalists

10 species
+4%

Grassland birds

4 species
+15%

Shorebirds

3 species
+48%

Wetland birds

23 species
+86%

Forest birds

53 species
+179%

Aerial insectivores

15 species
+321%

Birds of prey

11 species
22×

Waterfowl

4 species

Delaware Bird Survey Routes

Browse Delaware Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Delaware.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle 34×Cooper's Hawk +164%Northern Harrier +26%Red-shouldered Hawk +776%Red-tailed Hawk +564%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark +46%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher +4%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck +45%Canada Goose 54×Mallard +20%Wood Duck +73%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -41%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron +34%Great Blue Heron 34×Great Egret +404%Green Heron +70%Little Blue Heron +21%Snowy Egret 23×Western Cattle-Egret -46%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +96%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow +42%Common Nighthawk -89%Eastern Whip-poor-will -86%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +564%Indigo Bunting +197%Northern Cardinal +114%Scarlet Tanager -44%Summer Tanager 12×

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +807%Turkey Vulture +560%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +98%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove +183%Rock Pigeon +20%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +10%Blue Jay +4%Fish Crow +82%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -57%Yellow-billed Cuckoo +152%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -76%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +142%House Finch 29×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow +10%Barn Swallow +96%Northern Rough-winged Swallow -60%Purple Martin +962%Tree Swallow +729%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -76%Boat-tailed Grackle +14%Brown-headed Cowbird +374%Common Grackle -54%Eastern Meadowlark -94%Orchard Oriole +224%Red-winged Blackbird -21%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -23%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Skimmer +184%Common Tern -90%Forster's Tern 37×Great Black-backed Gull -67%Herring Gull -77%Laughing Gull +20%Least Tern -88%Ring-billed Gull -66%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher +31%Gray Catbird +24%Northern Mockingbird -3%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -95%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +800%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Carolina Chickadee +414%Tufted Titmouse +97%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart -57%Black-and-white Warbler -44%Common Yellowthroat +72%Hooded Warbler -24%Kentucky Warbler -80%Louisiana Waterthrush -1%Ovenbird +188%Pine Warbler +439%Prairie Warbler -63%Prothonotary Warbler +297%Worm-eating Warbler +442%Yellow Warbler -11%Yellow-throated Warbler +107%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +49%Eastern Towhee -84%Field Sparrow -54%Grasshopper Sparrow +129%Seaside Sparrow +742%Song Sparrow -14%Swamp Sparrow +7%Vesper Sparrow -81%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -81%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +80%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -64%Wild Turkey 11×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +169%Hairy Woodpecker +314%Pileated Woodpecker 42×Red-bellied Woodpecker +134%Red-headed Woodpecker +324%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 15×

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

Clapper Rail +547%

Avocets & Stilts Recurvirostridae

Black-necked Stilt +9%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

Willet +15%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Brown-headed Nuthatch +428%White-breasted Nuthatch +608%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +173%Great Horned Owl +88%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling +20%

Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae

Glossy Ibis +468%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +188%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren 13×Marsh Wren +248%Northern House Wren +11%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +38%Eastern Bluebird 24×Wood Thrush -12%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +208%Eastern Kingbird +45%Eastern Phoebe -61%Eastern Wood-Pewee +93%Great Crested Flycatcher +170%Willow Flycatcher +63%

Vireos Vireonidae

Red-eyed Vireo +58%Warbling Vireo -41%White-eyed Vireo +31%Yellow-throated Vireo -62%

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