BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Massachusetts Breeding Birds

176 species recorded across 32 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Massachusetts Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in Massachusetts: down 100% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Eastern Meadowlark has collapsed in Massachusetts: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

White-throated Sparrow has collapsed in Massachusetts: down 98% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Herring Gull has collapsed in Massachusetts: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Ring-necked Pheasant has collapsed in Massachusetts: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Brown Thrasher has collapsed in Massachusetts: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Massachusetts

-72%

Game birds

4 species
-62%

Generalists

11 species
-61%

Wetland birds

16 species
-49%

Shorebirds

4 species
-46%

Grassland birds

4 species
-32%

Aerial insectivores

15 species
-21%

Birds of prey

10 species
+11%

Forest birds

68 species
+183%

Waterfowl

7 species

Massachusetts Bird Survey Routes

Browse Massachusetts Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Massachusetts.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Broad-winged Hawk +99%Cooper's Hawk +107%Red-shouldered Hawk +388%Red-tailed Hawk +990%Sharp-shinned Hawk +32%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -31%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck -93%Canada Goose 21×Common Merganser -8%Hooded Merganser +31%Mallard +2%Mute Swan +93%Wood Duck +154%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -56%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern -28%Black-crowned Night Heron -39%Great Blue Heron 13×Great Egret +41%Green Heron -22%Snowy Egret -87%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +289%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Eastern Whip-poor-will -81%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Indigo Bunting +85%Northern Cardinal 60×Rose-breasted Grosbeak -28%Scarlet Tanager +8%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture +530%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +462%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -68%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove +202%Rock Pigeon -57%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +22%Blue Jay -62%Common Raven +678%Fish Crow +764%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo +107%Yellow-billed Cuckoo +123%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -81%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +233%Evening Grosbeak -17%House Finch 12×Purple Finch -84%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -53%Barn Swallow -44%Cliff Swallow -61%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +24%Purple Martin 13×Tree Swallow -26%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -60%Bobolink -44%Brown-headed Cowbird +30%Common Grackle -75%Eastern Meadowlark -98%Orchard Oriole +93%Red-winged Blackbird -27%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Common Tern -75%Great Black-backed Gull -62%Herring Gull -96%Laughing Gull -17%Least Tern -60%Ring-billed Gull -85%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -94%Gray Catbird +59%Northern Mockingbird +230%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -100%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +986%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +50%Tufted Titmouse 113×

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +195%Black-and-white Warbler +20%Black-throated Blue Warbler +49%Black-throated Green Warbler +32%Blackburnian Warbler +208%Blue-winged Warbler -10%Canada Warbler -72%Chestnut-sided Warbler +50%Common Yellowthroat -12%Golden-winged Warbler -58%Louisiana Waterthrush +541%Magnolia Warbler -49%Mourning Warbler -18%Nashville Warbler -71%Northern Parula +444%Northern Waterthrush +256%Ovenbird +204%Pine Warbler +499%Prairie Warbler -70%Worm-eating Warbler +93%Yellow Warbler +108%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +109%Eastern Towhee -81%Field Sparrow -87%Savannah Sparrow -26%Song Sparrow +5%Swamp Sparrow +87%Vesper Sparrow -79%White-throated Sparrow -98%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -30%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +100%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -96%Ruffed Grouse -56%Wild Turkey 34×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +249%Hairy Woodpecker +74%Pileated Woodpecker 14×Red-bellied Woodpecker 22×Yellow-bellied Sapsucker +566%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 14×

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet +266%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -58%Spotted Sandpiper +37%Willet +227%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch +364%White-breasted Nuthatch +351%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +111%Great Horned Owl +32%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -76%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +371%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren 67×Marsh Wren +350%Northern House Wren +66%Winter Wren +283%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin -19%Eastern Bluebird +502%Hermit Thrush +33%Swainson's Thrush -49%Veery +51%Wood Thrush -66%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Alder Flycatcher +737%Eastern Kingbird -68%Eastern Phoebe +99%Eastern Wood-Pewee +66%Great Crested Flycatcher -5%Least Flycatcher -25%Willow Flycatcher +404%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo +994%Red-eyed Vireo +251%Warbling Vireo +589%Yellow-throated Vireo +810%

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