BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Nebraska Breeding Birds

209 species recorded across 76 survey routes, 1967 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Nebraska Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Chestnut-collared Longspur has collapsed in Nebraska: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

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Northern Pintail has collapsed in Nebraska: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1973.

long arc declinecomputed index

Eared Grebe has collapsed in Nebraska: down 89% on the route-weighted index since 1981.

long arc declinecomputed index

Black-billed Cuckoo has collapsed in Nebraska: down 84% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc declinecomputed index

House Sparrow has collapsed in Nebraska: down 83% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

long arc declinecomputed index

Black Tern has collapsed in Nebraska: down 83% on the route-weighted index since 1969.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Nebraska

-71%

Arid-land birds

1 species
-48%

Wetland birds

21 species
-43%

Game birds

5 species
-42%

Generalists

12 species
-26%

Grassland birds

16 species
+3%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
+32%

Shorebirds

7 species
+36%

Forest birds

50 species
+73%

Waterfowl

11 species
+80%

Birds of prey

14 species

Nebraska Bird Survey Routes

Browse Nebraska Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Nebraska.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +394%Cooper's Hawk +156%Ferruginous Hawk -10%Golden Eagle -63%Northern Harrier -71%Red-tailed Hawk +226%Swainson's Hawk +70%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark +6%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -42%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Blue-winged Teal +153%Canada Goose 22×Gadwall -38%Green-winged Teal -33%Mallard +26%Northern Pintail -90%Northern Shoveler -74%Redhead +84%Ruddy Duck -54%Trumpeter Swan -58%Wood Duck +528%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -57%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern +324%Black-crowned Night Heron -48%Great Blue Heron +398%Green Heron -68%Western Cattle-Egret +203%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +389%

Longspurs & Snow Buntings Calcariidae

Chestnut-collared Longspur -96%Thick-billed Longspur -77%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk +365%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Black-headed Grosbeak +126%Blue Grosbeak +269%Dickcissel -3%Indigo Bunting +84%Lazuli Bunting -43%Northern Cardinal +178%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +5%Scarlet Tanager +64%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture 57×

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +126%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove 101×Mourning Dove +1%Rock Pigeon -47%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -30%Black-billed Magpie -70%Blue Jay +12%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -84%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -24%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel +16%Prairie Falcon -28%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +74%House Finch +837%Red Crossbill -83%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -56%Barn Swallow +16%Cliff Swallow +112%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +270%Purple Martin +1%Tree Swallow 12×Violet-green Swallow -39%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole +57%Bobolink +144%Brewer's Blackbird +122%Brown-headed Cowbird +25%Bullock's Oriole +36%Common Grackle -30%Eastern Meadowlark -74%Great-tailed Grackle +119%Orchard Oriole +368%Red-winged Blackbird +19%Western Meadowlark -22%Yellow-headed Blackbird +33%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat +573%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -79%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Tern -83%Forster's Tern -13%Least Tern +103%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -44%Gray Catbird +4%Northern Mockingbird -70%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -8%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee -22%Tufted Titmouse +27%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +33%Black-and-white Warbler -76%Common Yellowthroat +27%Ovenbird -37%Yellow Warbler +696%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Brewer's Sparrow -71%Cassin's Sparrow -65%Chipping Sparrow +612%Eastern Towhee -34%Field Sparrow +131%Grasshopper Sparrow +24%Lark Bunting -74%Lark Sparrow +219%Savannah Sparrow -46%Song Sparrow +621%Spotted Towhee 12×Swamp Sparrow +124%Vesper Sparrow +119%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -83%

Pelicans Pelecanidae

American White Pelican +27%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant -49%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Greater Prairie-Chicken +327%Ring-necked Pheasant -57%Sharp-tailed Grouse -58%Wild Turkey 45×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +22%Hairy Woodpecker -67%Red-bellied Woodpecker +596%Red-headed Woodpecker -11%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Eared Grebe -89%Pied-billed Grebe +46%Western Grebe -17%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +7%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -77%Sora -49%

Avocets & Stilts Recurvirostridae

American Avocet -71%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

Long-billed Curlew -21%Spotted Sandpiper +98%Upland Sandpiper +94%Willet +17%Wilson's Phalarope +22%Wilson's Snipe 15×

Nuthatches Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch +51%White-breasted Nuthatch +238%

Owls Strigidae

Burrowing Owl -45%Eastern Screech-Owl -50%Great Horned Owl +26%Short-eared Owl +205%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling +73%

Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae

White-faced Ibis -21%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren -15%Marsh Wren +14%Northern House Wren +102%Rock Wren +33%Sedge Wren +84%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +114%Eastern Bluebird +173%Mountain Bluebird -79%Wood Thrush +6%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Eastern Kingbird -7%Eastern Phoebe +202%Eastern Wood-Pewee +175%Great Crested Flycatcher +745%Say's Phoebe +32%Western Kingbird +10%Western Wood-Pewee +992%Willow Flycatcher +236%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo +384%Red-eyed Vireo +402%Warbling Vireo +223%Yellow-throated Vireo +161%

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