BBS Route · Virginia · BCR 27
Backbay Bird Survey Route
A standard 50-stop Breeding Bird Survey route. 82 species recorded across 9 survey years, no longer active.
82Species Recorded
9Years Surveyed
1966–1974Span
2Observers
Bird Species Found on Virginia Backbay
Top 40 of 82 species by most recent count. Each links to its species trend.
| History | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Grackle | Icteridae | 134 | 1974 | -5% | 1968 | |
| European Starling | Sturnidae | 124 | 1974 | -31% | 1968 | |
| Herring Gull | Laridae | 50 | 1971 | +257% | 1966 | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundinidae | 43 | 1974 | +6% | 1968 | |
| House Sparrow | Passeridae | 41 | 1974 | -21% | 1968 | |
| Northern Bobwhite | Odontophoridae | 32 | 1974 | +13% | 1968 | |
| Mourning Dove | Columbidae | 27 | 1974 | +230% | 1968 | |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Icteridae | 24 | 1974 | +33% | 1968 | |
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimidae | 24 | 1974 | -31% | 1968 | |
| Northern Cardinal | Cardinalidae | 22 | 1974 | +22% | 1968 | |
| Wood Thrush | Turdidae | 22 | 1974 | +135% | 1968 | |
| American Crow | Corvidae | 18 | 1974 | -27% | 1968 | |
| Carolina Wren | Troglodytidae | 17 | 1974 | +430% | 1968 | |
| Common Yellowthroat | Parulidae | 14 | 1974 | -14% | 1968 | |
| Song Sparrow | Passerellidae | 12 | 1974 | +11% | 1968 | |
| Indigo Bunting | Cardinalidae | 12 | 1974 | +43% | 1968 | |
| Laughing Gull | Laridae | 10 | 1974 | -42% | 1968 | |
| Rock Pigeon | Columbidae | 10 | 1974 | -17% | 1968 | |
| Blue Jay | Corvidae | 10 | 1974 | +178% | 1968 | |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Hirundinidae | 10 | 1966 | n/a | n/a | |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Icteridae | 9 | 1974 | +57% | 1968 | |
| Green Heron | Ardeidae | 8 | 1974 | +83% | 1968 | |
| American Robin | Turdidae | 8 | 1974 | -3% | 1968 | |
| Black Vulture | Cathartidae | 7 | 1970 | +600% | 1966 | |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | Picidae | 7 | 1974 | +39% | 1968 | |
| Great Egret | Ardeidae | 6 | 1974 | +450% | 1969 | |
| Killdeer | Charadriidae | 6 | 1974 | +75% | 1970 | |
| Tufted Titmouse | Paridae | 6 | 1974 | +87% | 1968 | |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | Tyrannidae | 5 | 1974 | -40% | 1968 | |
| Eastern Towhee | Passerellidae | 5 | 1974 | -33% | 1968 | |
| Blue Grosbeak | Cardinalidae | 5 | 1974 | +100% | 1969 | |
| Red-eyed Vireo | Vireonidae | 5 | 1974 | +38% | 1968 | |
| Western Cattle-Egret | Ardeidae | 5 | 1974 | -64% | 1967 | |
| Least Tern | Laridae | 5 | 1969 | n/a | n/a | |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | Tyrannidae | 4 | 1974 | +13% | 1968 | |
| Red-winged Blackbird | Icteridae | 4 | 1974 | -62% | 1968 | |
| Field Sparrow | Passerellidae | 4 | 1974 | -65% | 1968 | |
| Purple Martin | Hirundinidae | 4 | 1974 | -84% | 1968 | |
| Prothonotary Warbler | Parulidae | 4 | 1974 | +0% | 1968 | |
| Ovenbird | Parulidae | 4 | 1974 | +0% | 1970 |
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. A route is a sample, not a census.