BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Iowa Breeding Birds

165 species recorded across 39 survey routes, 1967 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Iowa Bird Population TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Western Meadowlark has collapsed in Iowa: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Eurasian Collared-Dove has surged in Iowa: up 51× on the route-weighted index since 2005.

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Grasshopper Sparrow has collapsed in Iowa: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Canada Goose has surged in Iowa: up 38× on the route-weighted index since 1984.

long arc declinecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Bank Swallow has collapsed in Iowa: down 92% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Cliff Swallow has surged in Iowa: up 28× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in IowaGuild trendA mean-index aggregate across the species in this group — the structural direction of the guild, with individual-species noise smoothed out.Full methodology →

-67%

Grassland birds

13 species
-58%

Game birds

4 species
-54%

Generalists

11 species
-31%

Wetland birds

12 species
+15%

Forest birds

44 species
+55%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
+305%

Birds of prey

9 species
+540%

Shorebirds

2 species
13×

Waterfowl

5 species

Iowa Bird Survey Routes

Browse Iowa Birds By FamilyTrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →

Each species links to its trend in Iowa.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +306%Cooper's Hawk +244%Northern Harrier +14%Red-tailed Hawk +200%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -86%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -25%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Blue-winged Teal +38%Canada Goose 38×Mallard +195%Northern Shoveler +73%Wood Duck +347%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -88%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Great Blue Heron +515%Green Heron -14%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +644%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk -24%Eastern Whip-poor-will +349%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +344%Dickcissel -36%Indigo Bunting +79%Northern Cardinal +99%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +12%Scarlet Tanager +17%Summer Tanager +21%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture 14×

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +669%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove 51×Mourning Dove -7%Rock Pigeon -58%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -37%Blue Jay -43%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -75%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -71%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel +110%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -60%House Finch +265%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -92%Barn Swallow +16%Cliff Swallow 28×Northern Rough-winged Swallow +2%Purple Martin -26%Tree Swallow 12×

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -25%Bobolink -76%Brown-headed Cowbird +85%Common Grackle -42%Eastern Meadowlark -27%Great-tailed Grackle -24%Orchard Oriole +189%Red-winged Blackbird +10%Western Meadowlark -95%Yellow-headed Blackbird -43%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat +377%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -86%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Tern +172%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -57%Gray Catbird +183%Northern Mockingbird +3%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -68%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee -41%Tufted Titmouse -65%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart 17×Common Yellowthroat -28%Ovenbird -16%Yellow Warbler +201%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +645%Eastern Towhee +103%Field Sparrow -52%Grasshopper Sparrow -94%Henslow's Sparrow +293%Lark Sparrow +197%Savannah Sparrow -38%Song Sparrow +5%Swamp Sparrow -59%Vesper Sparrow -65%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

Eurasian Tree Sparrow 14×House Sparrow -67%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant -75%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Gray Partridge +83%Ring-necked Pheasant -29%Wild Turkey 13×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +43%Hairy Woodpecker +26%Red-bellied Woodpecker +163%Red-headed Woodpecker -61%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe +17%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +28%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -77%Sora -4%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

Spotted Sandpiper +176%Upland Sandpiper +246%

Nuthatches Sittidae

White-breasted Nuthatch +129%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +65%Eastern Screech-Owl -38%Great Horned Owl -41%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -15%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +391%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren +220%Marsh Wren +97%Northern House Wren +9%Sedge Wren +173%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +155%Eastern Bluebird +13%Wood Thrush +468%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +23%Eastern Kingbird -30%Eastern Phoebe -44%Eastern Wood-Pewee +14%Great Crested Flycatcher -5%Least Flycatcher -4%Western Kingbird -72%Willow Flycatcher +13%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo +186%Red-eyed Vireo +23%Warbling Vireo +201%White-eyed Vireo +117%Yellow-throated Vireo +69%

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