BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Pennsylvania Breeding Birds

188 species recorded across 138 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Pennsylvania Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

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

long arc declinecomputed index

Ring-necked Pheasant has collapsed in Pennsylvania: down 99% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Vesper Sparrow has collapsed in Pennsylvania: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Golden-winged Warbler has collapsed in Pennsylvania: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Yellow-breasted Chat has collapsed in Pennsylvania: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Upland Sandpiper has collapsed in Pennsylvania: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Pennsylvania

-89%

Game birds

4 species
-72%

Grassland birds

8 species
-68%

Wetland birds

12 species
-54%

Generalists

11 species
-11%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
-10%

Shorebirds

3 species
+30%

Forest birds

78 species
+169%

Birds of prey

15 species
+380%

Waterfowl

7 species

Pennsylvania Bird Survey Routes

Browse Pennsylvania Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Pennsylvania.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

American Goshawk -61%Bald Eagle +618%Broad-winged Hawk +52%Cooper's Hawk +366%Northern Harrier -29%Red-shouldered Hawk +344%Red-tailed Hawk +520%Sharp-shinned Hawk -48%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -62%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -52%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck -75%Canada Goose 75×Common Merganser +935%Hooded Merganser -4%Mallard +1%Mute Swan +47%Wood Duck +111%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -36%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern -66%Black-crowned Night Heron -46%Great Blue Heron +343%Great Egret -2%Green Heron -54%Western Cattle-Egret +59%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +348%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk -73%Eastern Whip-poor-will -40%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak -77%Indigo Bunting +15%Northern Cardinal +80%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +62%Scarlet Tanager +65%Summer Tanager -53%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +490%Turkey Vulture +337%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +682%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -3%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove +108%Rock Pigeon -62%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -6%Blue Jay +37%Common Raven 21×Fish Crow +172%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -73%Yellow-billed Cuckoo +49%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel +85%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -25%House Finch 70×Purple Finch -45%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -85%Barn Swallow -21%Cliff Swallow -36%Northern Rough-winged Swallow +84%Purple Martin -58%Tree Swallow +198%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -43%Bobolink -36%Brown-headed Cowbird -38%Common Grackle -75%Eastern Meadowlark -88%Orchard Oriole +252%Red-winged Blackbird -63%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -95%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Ring-billed Gull -7%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -35%Gray Catbird +87%Northern Mockingbird +32%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -99%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +481%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +158%Carolina Chickadee +763%Tufted Titmouse +137%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +143%Black-and-white Warbler +246%Black-throated Blue Warbler 18×Black-throated Green Warbler 24×Blackburnian Warbler +774%Blue-winged Warbler -9%Canada Warbler +46%Cerulean Warbler -1%Chestnut-sided Warbler +107%Common Yellowthroat +44%Golden-winged Warbler -96%Hooded Warbler +720%Kentucky Warbler -90%Louisiana Waterthrush +364%Magnolia Warbler +628%Mourning Warbler -14%Nashville Warbler -68%Northern Parula +170%Northern Waterthrush -61%Ovenbird +520%Pine Warbler +904%Prairie Warbler -14%Prothonotary Warbler -25%Worm-eating Warbler +142%Yellow Warbler +26%Yellow-throated Warbler +64%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +1%Eastern Towhee -9%Field Sparrow -62%Grasshopper Sparrow -87%Henslow's Sparrow -94%Savannah Sparrow -70%Song Sparrow +9%Swamp Sparrow +57%Vesper Sparrow -96%White-throated Sparrow -94%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -72%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant -1%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -99%Ruffed Grouse -82%Wild Turkey 11×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +76%Hairy Woodpecker +79%Pileated Woodpecker +440%Red-bellied Woodpecker 45×Red-headed Woodpecker +51%Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 44×

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe -60%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +204%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet -17%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -40%Spotted Sandpiper -93%Upland Sandpiper -95%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch +269%White-breasted Nuthatch +277%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +122%Eastern Screech-Owl -72%Great Horned Owl -36%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -38%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +404%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren 32×Marsh Wren -73%Northern House Wren +4%Winter Wren 13×

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin -7%Eastern Bluebird +263%Hermit Thrush +170%Swainson's Thrush -29%Veery +93%Wood Thrush -25%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +257%Alder Flycatcher +287%Eastern Kingbird +15%Eastern Phoebe +36%Eastern Wood-Pewee +101%Great Crested Flycatcher -39%Least Flycatcher -41%Willow Flycatcher +96%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo 63×Red-eyed Vireo +212%Warbling Vireo +181%White-eyed Vireo +65%Yellow-throated Vireo +290%

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