BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Virginia Breeding Birds

194 species recorded across 88 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Virginia Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Loggerhead Shrike has collapsed in Virginia: down 98% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

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

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in Virginia: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

House Sparrow has collapsed in Virginia: down 94% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Common Grackle has collapsed in Virginia: down 93% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Ring-necked Pheasant has collapsed in Virginia: down 91% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Virginia

-92%

Game birds

4 species
-77%

Generalists

11 species
-74%

Wetland birds

21 species
-65%

Grassland birds

8 species
-27%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
-7%

Forest birds

71 species
+1%

Shorebirds

4 species
+179%

Birds of prey

15 species
12×

Waterfowl

4 species

Virginia Bird Survey Routes

Browse Virginia Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Virginia.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle +516%Broad-winged Hawk -23%Cooper's Hawk +185%Mississippi Kite +56%Northern Harrier -18%Red-shouldered Hawk 13×Red-tailed Hawk +228%Sharp-shinned Hawk -40%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -82%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -63%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck -21%Canada Goose 46×Mallard +108%Wood Duck +199%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -61%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron -50%Great Blue Heron +160%Great Egret -2%Green Heron -62%Little Blue Heron -66%Snowy Egret -30%Western Cattle-Egret -90%Yellow-crowned Night Heron -64%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +337%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow -67%Common Nighthawk -81%Eastern Whip-poor-will -65%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak +104%Dickcissel -33%Indigo Bunting -10%Northern Cardinal -22%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +92%Scarlet Tanager +78%Summer Tanager +42%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +415%Turkey Vulture +287%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +3%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +27%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove -21%Rock Pigeon -66%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -13%Blue Jay -49%Common Raven +204%Fish Crow +154%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -90%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -15%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -30%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch +46%House Finch 31×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -72%Barn Swallow -46%Cliff Swallow +127%Northern Rough-winged Swallow -15%Purple Martin -43%Tree Swallow 26×

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -31%Boat-tailed Grackle -64%Bobolink +87%Brown-headed Cowbird -23%Common Grackle -93%Eastern Meadowlark -68%Orchard Oriole +62%Red-winged Blackbird -73%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -56%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -98%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Skimmer -73%Forster's Tern -66%Great Black-backed Gull -11%Herring Gull -46%Laughing Gull -79%Royal Tern -76%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -56%Gray Catbird -28%Northern Mockingbird -60%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -96%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +127%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee -61%Carolina Chickadee -6%Tufted Titmouse +76%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +432%Black-and-white Warbler +83%Black-throated Blue Warbler +99%Black-throated Green Warbler +751%Blackburnian Warbler +174%Blue-winged Warbler -9%Canada Warbler +266%Cerulean Warbler +229%Chestnut-sided Warbler +402%Common Yellowthroat -43%Golden-winged Warbler -85%Hooded Warbler +100%Kentucky Warbler -90%Louisiana Waterthrush +169%Northern Parula +173%Ovenbird +157%Pine Warbler +41%Prairie Warbler -62%Prothonotary Warbler +32%Swainson's Warbler +115%Worm-eating Warbler +408%Yellow Warbler -75%Yellow-throated Warbler +385%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow -4%Eastern Towhee -62%Field Sparrow -65%Grasshopper Sparrow -67%Savannah Sparrow -59%Seaside Sparrow -71%Song Sparrow +32%Vesper Sparrow -96%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -94%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant -21%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -91%Ruffed Grouse -18%Wild Turkey 11×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker -2%Hairy Woodpecker +106%Pileated Woodpecker +193%Red-bellied Woodpecker -19%Red-headed Woodpecker +192%Yellow-bellied Sapsucker +362%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher +153%

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

Clapper Rail -61%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -75%Spotted Sandpiper -56%Willet -43%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Brown-headed Nuthatch +40%Red-breasted Nuthatch +428%White-breasted Nuthatch +153%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +331%Eastern Screech-Owl -51%Great Horned Owl -33%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -77%

Ibises & Spoonbills Threskiornithidae

Glossy Ibis 20×

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +98%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Bewick's Wren -90%Carolina Wren +581%Northern House Wren -54%Winter Wren -18%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin -39%Eastern Bluebird +502%Veery 39×Wood Thrush -56%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +71%Eastern Kingbird -68%Eastern Phoebe +52%Eastern Wood-Pewee +15%Great Crested Flycatcher -21%Least Flycatcher -69%Willow Flycatcher -65%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo 13×Red-eyed Vireo +58%Warbling Vireo +59%White-eyed Vireo +91%Yellow-throated Vireo -5%

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