BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

New Jersey Breeding Birds

182 species recorded across 44 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

New Jersey Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in New Jersey: down 99% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Ring-necked Pheasant has collapsed in New Jersey: down 98% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

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

long arc declinecomputed index

Black Skimmer has collapsed in New Jersey: down 92% on the route-weighted index since 1981.

long arc declinecomputed index

Brown Thrasher has collapsed in New Jersey: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Blue-winged Warbler has collapsed in New Jersey: down 90% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in New Jersey

-93%

Game birds

4 species
-91%

Grassland birds

6 species
-63%

Generalists

11 species
-10%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
+4%

Forest birds

65 species
+13%

Birds of prey

13 species
+16%

Wetland birds

24 species
+31%

Shorebirds

3 species
+252%

Waterfowl

6 species

New Jersey Bird Survey Routes

Browse New Jersey Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in New Jersey.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +167%Broad-winged Hawk -69%Cooper's Hawk +359%Northern Harrier -13%Red-shouldered Hawk +512%Red-tailed Hawk 13×Sharp-shinned Hawk +62%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -63%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -52%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck -81%Canada Goose 18×Common Merganser -1%Mallard -51%Mute Swan -82%Wood Duck -20%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -6%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron -45%Great Blue Heron +401%Great Egret -13%Green Heron -57%Little Blue Heron -58%Snowy Egret -55%Tricolored Heron -57%Western Cattle-Egret -5%Yellow-crowned Night Heron -29%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing 30×

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk +9%Eastern Whip-poor-will -77%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +142%Indigo Bunting +17%Northern Cardinal +156%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +63%Scarlet Tanager +114%Summer Tanager +202%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +974%Turkey Vulture +119%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper -0%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +73%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove +8%Rock Pigeon -57%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +5%Blue Jay -47%Common Raven 11×Fish Crow +327%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -68%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -3%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -88%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +249%House Finch 68×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -67%Barn Swallow -16%Cliff Swallow -48%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +52%Purple Martin -58%Tree Swallow +40%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -15%Boat-tailed Grackle +25%Bobolink +29%Brown-headed Cowbird +168%Common Grackle -82%Eastern Meadowlark -97%Orchard Oriole +4%Red-winged Blackbird -14%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -88%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Skimmer -92%Common Tern -87%Forster's Tern -65%Great Black-backed Gull +580%Herring Gull 66×Laughing Gull 25×Least Tern -89%Ring-billed Gull +78%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -90%Gray Catbird +151%Northern Mockingbird -70%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -99%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +488%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +184%Carolina Chickadee +61%Tufted Titmouse +114%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +872%Black-and-white Warbler +46%Black-throated Green Warbler -46%Blackburnian Warbler -3%Blue-winged Warbler -90%Cerulean Warbler +222%Chestnut-sided Warbler +47%Common Yellowthroat -12%Golden-winged Warbler -73%Hooded Warbler +322%Kentucky Warbler +14%Louisiana Waterthrush -2%Northern Parula +381%Northern Waterthrush -36%Ovenbird +422%Pine Warbler +261%Prairie Warbler -58%Prothonotary Warbler +465%Worm-eating Warbler +313%Yellow Warbler +121%Yellow-throated Warbler +160%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +41%Eastern Towhee -74%Field Sparrow -69%Grasshopper Sparrow -62%Savannah Sparrow +44%Song Sparrow +16%Swamp Sparrow -80%Vesper Sparrow -67%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -66%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +145%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -98%Ruffed Grouse -15%Wild Turkey 13×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +151%Hairy Woodpecker +42%Pileated Woodpecker 12×Red-bellied Woodpecker 26×

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 23×

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

Clapper Rail +186%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

Spotted Sandpiper +5%Willet -71%

Nuthatches Sittidae

White-breasted Nuthatch 11×

Owls Strigidae

Eastern Screech-Owl -12%Great Horned Owl +152%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -59%

Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae

Glossy Ibis +749%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +330%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren 54×Marsh Wren -5%Northern House Wren +66%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin -6%Eastern Bluebird +615%Hermit Thrush -33%Veery +872%Wood Thrush -5%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +459%Alder Flycatcher -10%Eastern Kingbird -50%Eastern Phoebe +186%Eastern Wood-Pewee +384%Great Crested Flycatcher +1%Least Flycatcher -52%Willow Flycatcher +78%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo +35%Red-eyed Vireo +71%Warbling Vireo 13×White-eyed Vireo +42%Yellow-throated Vireo +166%

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