BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Michigan Breeding Birds

210 species recorded across 108 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. 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 77× 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 →

Sandhill Crane has surged in Michigan: up 40× 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 →

-82%

Game birds

4 species
-80%

Grassland birds

14 species
-61%

Generalists

11 species
-58%

Wetland birds

20 species
-26%

Aerial insectivores

19 species
-20%

Shorebirds

4 species
+5%

Forest birds

87 species
+79%

Birds of prey

15 species
+318%

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 +406%Broad-winged Hawk +62%Cooper's Hawk +82%Northern Harrier -83%Red-shouldered Hawk +314%Red-tailed Hawk +233%Sharp-shinned Hawk -50%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -38%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -10%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck -56%Blue-winged Teal -76%Canada Goose 77×Common Merganser -18%Hooded Merganser +46%Mallard +119%Mute Swan -25%Ring-necked Duck +255%Trumpeter Swan +315%Wood Duck +160%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -22%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern +48%Great Blue Heron +160%Great Egret +11%Green Heron +52%Least Bittern -53%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +152%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk -13%Eastern Whip-poor-will +130%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Dickcissel -63%Indigo Bunting +18%Northern Cardinal +147%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +80%Scarlet Tanager +81%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture 13×

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +408%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -20%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove +32%Rock Pigeon -40%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +19%Blue Jay +34%Canada Jay -50%Common Raven +32%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -73%Yellow-billed Cuckoo +54%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -62%Merlin +56%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -50%Evening Grosbeak -73%House Finch 37×Pine Siskin -85%Purple Finch -29%Red Crossbill +51%White-winged Crossbill -58%

Loons Gaviidae

Common Loon +117%

Cranes Gruidae

Sandhill Crane 40×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -44%Barn Swallow -29%Cliff Swallow -66%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +19%Purple Martin -92%Tree Swallow -6%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +20%Bobolink -82%Brewer's Blackbird -85%Brown-headed Cowbird -62%Common Grackle -76%Eastern Meadowlark -86%Orchard Oriole +214%Red-winged Blackbird -55%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 -94%Ring-billed Gull 47×

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -62%Gray Catbird +12%Northern Mockingbird -82%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -100%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +811%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +205%Boreal Chickadee -74%Tufted Titmouse +314%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +380%Bay-breasted Warbler +68%Black-and-white Warbler +422%Black-throated Blue Warbler +668%Black-throated Green Warbler +470%Blackburnian Warbler +485%Blue-winged Warbler +443%Canada Warbler -5%Cape May Warbler -1%Cerulean Warbler +49%Chestnut-sided Warbler +100%Common Yellowthroat +37%Connecticut Warbler +23%Golden-winged Warbler -40%Hooded Warbler +131%Kirtland's Warbler +269%Louisiana Waterthrush -10%Magnolia Warbler 12×Mourning Warbler +260%Nashville Warbler +670%Northern Parula 14×Northern Waterthrush -68%Ovenbird +105%Palm Warbler +123%Pine Warbler 39×Prothonotary Warbler -2%Tennessee Warbler -38%Yellow Warbler +76%Yellow-throated Warbler -24%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +65%Clay-colored Sparrow +11%Eastern Towhee -1%Field Sparrow -67%Grasshopper Sparrow -93%Henslow's Sparrow -95%LeConte's Sparrow -64%Lincoln's Sparrow +25%Savannah Sparrow -85%Song Sparrow -51%Swamp Sparrow +449%Vesper Sparrow -92%White-throated Sparrow +27%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -76%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant -69%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -97%Ruffed Grouse +377%Wild Turkey 19×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Black-backed Woodpecker -28%Downy Woodpecker +97%Hairy Woodpecker +209%Pileated Woodpecker 13×Red-bellied Woodpecker 18×Red-headed Woodpecker -70%Yellow-bellied Sapsucker +739%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe -93%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +650%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -60%Common Gallinule -86%Sora -83%Virginia Rail -63%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet +465%Ruby-crowned Kinglet +1%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -76%Spotted Sandpiper -89%Upland Sandpiper -64%Wilson's Snipe -6%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch 33×White-breasted Nuthatch +143%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +18%Eastern Screech-Owl -67%Great Horned Owl -62%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -56%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +337%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren +756%Marsh Wren -51%Northern House Wren +267%Sedge Wren -74%Winter Wren +541%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +9%Eastern Bluebird +66%Hermit Thrush +72%Swainson's Thrush +18%Veery -10%Wood Thrush -7%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +406%Alder Flycatcher +224%Eastern Kingbird -46%Eastern Phoebe +3%Eastern Wood-Pewee +148%Great Crested Flycatcher -11%Least Flycatcher +2%Olive-sided Flycatcher -26%Willow Flycatcher -61%Yellow-bellied Flycatcher +52%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo 34×Philadelphia Vireo +131%Red-eyed Vireo +191%Warbling Vireo +9%Yellow-throated Vireo +833%

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