BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

West Virginia Breeding Birds

165 species recorded across 63 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

West Virginia Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Northern Bobwhite has collapsed in West Virginia: down 100% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Bank Swallow has collapsed in West Virginia: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1976.

long arc declinecomputed index

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

long arc declinecomputed index

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

long arc declinecomputed index

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

long arc declinecomputed index

Prairie Warbler has collapsed in West Virginia: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in West Virginia

-92%

Game birds

4 species
-83%

Grassland birds

7 species
-74%

Generalists

11 species
-71%

Wetland birds

4 species
-43%

Aerial insectivores

16 species
-21%

Forest birds

77 species
-6%

Shorebirds

3 species
+88%

Birds of prey

13 species
+606%

Waterfowl

3 species

West Virginia Bird Survey Routes

Browse West Virginia Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in West Virginia.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle -17%Broad-winged Hawk -60%Cooper's Hawk -66%Red-shouldered Hawk +364%Red-tailed Hawk +448%Sharp-shinned Hawk -60%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -93%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -10%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Canada Goose 11×Mallard +78%Wood Duck -18%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -71%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Great Blue Heron +390%Green Heron -85%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +172%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Eastern Whip-poor-will -80%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak -28%Indigo Bunting -50%Northern Cardinal +4%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +575%Scarlet Tanager +41%Summer Tanager -91%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +112%Turkey Vulture +376%

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +754%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer -35%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Mourning Dove +91%Rock Pigeon -67%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow -28%Blue Jay +230%Common Raven 18×Fish Crow -46%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -87%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -44%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -26%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -47%House Finch +754%Purple Finch -57%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -97%Barn Swallow -35%Cliff Swallow -94%Northern Rough-winged Swallow -5%Purple Martin -66%Tree Swallow 23×

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -38%Bobolink +393%Brown-headed Cowbird -68%Common Grackle -91%Eastern Meadowlark -85%Orchard Oriole +13%Red-winged Blackbird -62%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -93%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -44%Gray Catbird -1%Northern Mockingbird +5%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -100%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +3%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +225%Carolina Chickadee +16%Tufted Titmouse +70%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +181%Black-and-white Warbler +40%Black-throated Blue Warbler 15×Black-throated Green Warbler +381%Blackburnian Warbler 14×Blue-winged Warbler -25%Canada Warbler 12×Cerulean Warbler -29%Chestnut-sided Warbler +365%Common Yellowthroat -61%Golden-winged Warbler -96%Hooded Warbler +152%Kentucky Warbler -80%Louisiana Waterthrush +57%Magnolia Warbler +815%Mourning Warbler +229%Northern Parula +52%Northern Waterthrush +149%Ovenbird +171%Pine Warbler -65%Prairie Warbler -95%Prothonotary Warbler -63%Swainson's Warbler +301%Worm-eating Warbler -38%Yellow Warbler -60%Yellow-throated Warbler 20×

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow -40%Eastern Towhee +2%Field Sparrow -49%Grasshopper Sparrow -96%Henslow's Sparrow -88%Savannah Sparrow -83%Song Sparrow +10%Vesper Sparrow -96%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -89%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Ring-necked Pheasant -64%Ruffed Grouse -60%Wild Turkey +436%

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker -18%Hairy Woodpecker +61%Pileated Woodpecker +62%Red-bellied Woodpecker +304%Red-headed Woodpecker +104%Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 11×

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -47%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet +363%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -74%Spotted Sandpiper -85%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch +800%White-breasted Nuthatch +100%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +203%Eastern Screech-Owl -57%Great Horned Owl +1%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -64%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +53%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Bewick's Wren -81%Carolina Wren +296%Northern House Wren +2%Winter Wren +345%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin -5%Eastern Bluebird -13%Hermit Thrush 20×Swainson's Thrush +61%Veery 11×Wood Thrush -21%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher -7%Alder Flycatcher +282%Eastern Kingbird -25%Eastern Phoebe +5%Eastern Wood-Pewee -23%Great Crested Flycatcher -67%Least Flycatcher +573%Willow Flycatcher -23%

Vireos Vireonidae

Blue-headed Vireo 23×Red-eyed Vireo +43%Warbling Vireo -78%White-eyed Vireo -53%Yellow-throated Vireo +74%

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