BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Tennessee Breeding Birds

161 species recorded across 55 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Tennessee Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Yellow Warbler has collapsed in Tennessee: down 98% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Loggerhead Shrike has collapsed in Tennessee: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in Tennessee: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Bewick's Wren has collapsed in Tennessee: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Common Grackle has collapsed in Tennessee: down 89% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Grasshopper Sparrow has collapsed in Tennessee: down 89% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Tennessee

-95%

Game birds

2 species
-79%

Grassland birds

6 species
-57%

Generalists

12 species
-44%

Wetland birds

11 species
+4%

Forest birds

71 species
+23%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
+33%

Shorebirds

1 species
+299%

Birds of prey

14 species
+408%

Waterfowl

3 species

Tennessee Bird Survey Routes

Browse Tennessee Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Tennessee.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +470%Broad-winged Hawk +61%Cooper's Hawk +635%Mississippi Kite 19×Red-shouldered Hawk 31×Red-tailed Hawk +234%Sharp-shinned Hawk +13%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -71%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -49%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Canada Goose 12×Mallard -69%Wood Duck +282%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -74%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron -21%Great Blue Heron 30×Great Egret +644%Green Heron -75%Little Blue Heron +196%Western Cattle-Egret -87%Yellow-crowned Night Heron -34%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +822%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow -35%Common Nighthawk -88%Eastern Whip-poor-will -69%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +352%Dickcissel -24%Indigo Bunting -8%Northern Cardinal -20%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +84%Scarlet Tanager +256%Summer Tanager +36%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture 12×Turkey Vulture +354%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +217%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +33%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove +313%Mourning Dove -19%Rock Pigeon -69%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +14%Blue Jay -46%Common Raven -1%Fish Crow +871%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -16%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -34%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel +293%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +66%House Finch 57×Red Crossbill +338%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow +448%Barn Swallow -35%Cliff Swallow 53×Northern Rough-winged Swallow +219%Purple Martin +50%Tree Swallow 15×

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -58%Brown-headed Cowbird +22%Common Grackle -90%Eastern Meadowlark -83%Orchard Oriole -58%Red-winged Blackbird -38%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -45%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -96%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Least Tern -28%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -17%Gray Catbird -88%Northern Mockingbird -36%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -95%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +937%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Carolina Chickadee +82%Tufted Titmouse +71%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart -12%Black-and-white Warbler -9%Black-throated Blue Warbler +705%Black-throated Green Warbler +623%Blackburnian Warbler +763%Blue-winged Warbler -36%Canada Warbler +135%Cerulean Warbler -53%Chestnut-sided Warbler +19%Common Yellowthroat -44%Golden-winged Warbler -49%Hooded Warbler +326%Kentucky Warbler +47%Louisiana Waterthrush +81%Northern Parula 25×Ovenbird +32%Pine Warbler 18×Prairie Warbler -28%Prothonotary Warbler +121%Swainson's Warbler 24×Worm-eating Warbler +146%Yellow Warbler -98%Yellow-throated Warbler +341%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +61%Eastern Towhee -16%Field Sparrow -56%Grasshopper Sparrow -89%Lark Sparrow +184%Song Sparrow +16%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -86%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +431%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Wild Turkey +382%

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +122%Hairy Woodpecker +163%Pileated Woodpecker +56%Red-bellied Woodpecker +89%Red-headed Woodpecker +101%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +189%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet +231%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Brown-headed Nuthatch +174%Red-breasted Nuthatch +285%White-breasted Nuthatch 21×

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +181%Eastern Screech-Owl +21%Great Horned Owl +173%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling +9%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +138%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Bewick's Wren -95%Carolina Wren +183%Northern House Wren +724%Winter Wren 16×

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +49%Eastern Bluebird +63%Veery +147%Wood Thrush +0%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +213%Eastern Kingbird -35%Eastern Phoebe +92%Eastern Wood-Pewee +20%Great Crested Flycatcher +48%Least Flycatcher +58%Willow Flycatcher -29%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo 14×Red-eyed Vireo +156%Warbling Vireo +398%White-eyed Vireo +125%Yellow-throated Vireo +134%

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