BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2026 Release · 1966–2025

Michigan Breeding Birds

210 species recorded across 108 survey routes, 1966 to 2025. Browse by family or guild below.

Michigan 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 →

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

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 Michigan: up 82× on the route-weighted index since 1970.

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 Michigan: down 98% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

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 →

Ring-billed Gull has surged in Michigan: up 47× on the route-weighted index since 1969.

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 →

Ring-necked Pheasant has collapsed in Michigan: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

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 →

Pine Warbler has surged in Michigan: up 45× on the route-weighted index since 1969.

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

-83%

Game birds

4 species
-78%

Grassland birds

14 species
-60%

Generalists

11 species
-55%

Wetland birds

20 species
-24%

Aerial insectivores

19 species
-20%

Shorebirds

4 species
+11%

Forest birds

87 species
+89%

Birds of prey

15 species
+341%

Waterfowl

10 species

Michigan Bird Survey Routes

Browse Michigan 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 Michigan.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

American Goshawk -44%Bald Eagle +476%Broad-winged Hawk +60%Cooper's Hawk +57%Northern Harrier -83%Red-shouldered Hawk +251%Red-tailed Hawk +227%Sharp-shinned Hawk -50%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -39%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -9%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck -56%Blue-winged Teal -76%Canada Goose 82×Common Merganser -18%Hooded Merganser -5%Mallard +113%Mute Swan -29%Ring-necked Duck +243%Trumpeter Swan +335%Wood Duck +174%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -24%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern +63%Great Blue Heron +101%Great Egret +77%Green Heron +69%Least Bittern -53%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +163%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk +41%Eastern Whip-poor-will +186%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Dickcissel -77%Indigo Bunting +24%Northern Cardinal +146%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +98%Scarlet Tanager +96%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture 14×

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +565%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -21%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove +29%Rock Pigeon -31%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +19%Blue Jay +43%Canada Jay -50%Common Raven +51%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -72%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -25%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -55%Merlin +32%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -46%Evening Grosbeak -73%House Finch 37×Pine Siskin -80%Purple Finch -16%Red Crossbill +24%White-winged Crossbill -58%

Loons Gaviidae

Common Loon +149%

Cranes Gruidae

Sandhill Crane 41×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -61%Barn Swallow -27%Cliff Swallow -76%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +9%Purple Martin -87%Tree Swallow +5%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +24%Bobolink -80%Brewer's Blackbird -87%Brown-headed Cowbird -63%Common Grackle -75%Eastern Meadowlark -85%Orchard Oriole +324%Red-winged Blackbird -54%Western Meadowlark -98%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -79%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -82%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Tern -96%Caspian Tern -33%Herring Gull -96%Ring-billed Gull 47×

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -62%Gray Catbird +14%Northern Mockingbird -82%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -100%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +970%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +217%Boreal Chickadee -74%Tufted Titmouse +337%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +409%Bay-breasted Warbler +68%Black-and-white Warbler +414%Black-throated Blue Warbler +601%Black-throated Green Warbler +457%Blackburnian Warbler +433%Blue-winged Warbler +449%Canada Warbler +15%Cape May Warbler -42%Cerulean Warbler +48%Chestnut-sided Warbler +113%Common Yellowthroat +49%Connecticut Warbler +23%Golden-winged Warbler -33%Hooded Warbler +82%Kirtland's Warbler +341%Louisiana Waterthrush -10%Magnolia Warbler 12×Mourning Warbler +285%Nashville Warbler +717%Northern Parula 14×Northern Waterthrush -66%Ovenbird +120%Palm Warbler +89%Pine Warbler 45×Prothonotary Warbler -27%Tennessee Warbler -72%Yellow Warbler +89%Yellow-throated Warbler -24%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +61%Clay-colored Sparrow +89%Eastern Towhee +3%Field Sparrow -68%Grasshopper Sparrow -92%Henslow's Sparrow -95%LeConte's Sparrow -62%Lincoln's Sparrow +126%Savannah Sparrow -81%Song Sparrow -50%Swamp Sparrow +445%Vesper Sparrow -92%White-throated Sparrow +36%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -76%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant -63%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -98%Ruffed Grouse +252%Wild Turkey 20×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Black-backed Woodpecker -28%Downy Woodpecker +72%Hairy Woodpecker +191%Pileated Woodpecker 13×Red-bellied Woodpecker 18×Red-headed Woodpecker -65%Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 12×

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe -95%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +654%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -60%Common Gallinule -86%Sora -82%Virginia Rail -63%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet +541%Ruby-crowned Kinglet -14%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -73%Spotted Sandpiper -87%Upland Sandpiper -64%Wilson's Snipe +21%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch 35×White-breasted Nuthatch +132%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +35%Eastern Screech-Owl -67%Great Horned Owl -49%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -54%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +307%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren +888%Marsh Wren -51%Northern House Wren +258%Sedge Wren -66%Winter Wren +458%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +12%Eastern Bluebird +73%Hermit Thrush +79%Swainson's Thrush +26%Veery +3%Wood Thrush +11%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +447%Alder Flycatcher +258%Eastern Kingbird -44%Eastern Phoebe +17%Eastern Wood-Pewee +150%Great Crested Flycatcher -5%Least Flycatcher +16%Olive-sided Flycatcher -3%Willow Flycatcher -60%Yellow-bellied Flycatcher +41%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo 32×Philadelphia Vireo +131%Red-eyed Vireo +199%Warbling Vireo +13%Yellow-throated Vireo +826%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-08-14.