BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Kentucky Breeding Birds

149 species recorded across 64 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Kentucky Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Grasshopper Sparrow has collapsed in Kentucky: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Bewick's Wren has collapsed in Kentucky: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Loggerhead Shrike has collapsed in Kentucky: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

House Sparrow has collapsed in Kentucky: down 88% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Common Nighthawk has collapsed in Kentucky: down 85% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Eastern Whip-poor-will has collapsed in Kentucky: down 84% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Kentucky

-89%

Game birds

2 species
-76%

Grassland birds

9 species
-63%

Generalists

11 species
-39%

Wetland birds

9 species
-23%

Aerial insectivores

16 species
-17%

Forest birds

59 species
+73%

Shorebirds

2 species
+103%

Birds of prey

14 species
13×

Waterfowl

3 species

Kentucky Bird Survey Routes

Browse Kentucky Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Kentucky.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +133%Broad-winged Hawk +19%Cooper's Hawk +192%Mississippi Kite +85%Red-shouldered Hawk +867%Red-tailed Hawk +361%Sharp-shinned Hawk -1%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -81%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher +12%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Canada Goose 22×Mallard +147%Wood Duck +280%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -82%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Great Blue Heron 16×Great Egret -3%Green Heron -74%Little Blue Heron -51%Western Cattle-Egret +429%Yellow-crowned Night Heron +33%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +745%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow -74%Common Nighthawk -85%Eastern Whip-poor-will -84%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak 28×Dickcissel -66%Indigo Bunting -38%Northern Cardinal -14%Scarlet Tanager +34%Summer Tanager -12%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +692%Turkey Vulture +293%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +73%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove 14×Mourning Dove +19%Rock Pigeon -52%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -16%Blue Jay -47%Fish Crow +203%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -8%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -50%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel +40%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -39%House Finch 40×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow +15%Barn Swallow -39%Cliff Swallow 77×Northern Rough-winged Swallow -22%Purple Martin +73%Tree Swallow 35×

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +101%Bobolink +411%Brown-headed Cowbird -38%Common Grackle -82%Eastern Meadowlark -78%Orchard Oriole -64%Red-winged Blackbird -17%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -56%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -96%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Least Tern +126%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -30%Gray Catbird -74%Northern Mockingbird -42%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -83%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey -61%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Carolina Chickadee -13%Tufted Titmouse -12%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart -55%Black-and-white Warbler +17%Black-throated Green Warbler +90%Blue-winged Warbler +20%Cerulean Warbler -57%Common Yellowthroat -16%Hooded Warbler +144%Kentucky Warbler +22%Louisiana Waterthrush +119%Northern Parula 24×Ovenbird +55%Pine Warbler +42%Prairie Warbler +54%Prothonotary Warbler +51%Swainson's Warbler +15%Worm-eating Warbler +69%Yellow Warbler -82%Yellow-throated Warbler +437%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +2%Eastern Towhee -60%Field Sparrow -74%Grasshopper Sparrow -97%Henslow's Sparrow +141%Lark Sparrow -79%Savannah Sparrow -43%Song Sparrow +45%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -88%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Wild Turkey +908%

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker -37%Hairy Woodpecker +30%Pileated Woodpecker +16%Red-bellied Woodpecker +45%Red-headed Woodpecker +146%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +58%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -49%

Nuthatches Sittidae

White-breasted Nuthatch 12×

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +87%Eastern Screech-Owl +0%Great Horned Owl -26%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -20%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +27%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Bewick's Wren -97%Carolina Wren +132%Northern House Wren 15×

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +32%Eastern Bluebird -59%Wood Thrush -1%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +78%Eastern Kingbird -28%Eastern Phoebe +28%Eastern Wood-Pewee +9%Great Crested Flycatcher -28%Willow Flycatcher +98%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo -14%Blue-headed Vireo +52%Red-eyed Vireo +64%Warbling Vireo +145%White-eyed Vireo +63%Yellow-throated Vireo +63%

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