BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Wisconsin Breeding Birds

231 species recorded across 98 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Wisconsin Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Western Meadowlark has collapsed in Wisconsin: down 100% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

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Black Tern has collapsed in Wisconsin: down 99% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Upland Sandpiper has collapsed in Wisconsin: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

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

long arc declinecomputed index

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

long arc declinecomputed index

Yellow-headed Blackbird has collapsed in Wisconsin: down 93% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Wisconsin

-81%

Grassland birds

15 species
-52%

Generalists

11 species
-29%

Wetland birds

24 species
-27%

Aerial insectivores

19 species
-5%

Game birds

7 species
+10%

Shorebirds

4 species
+34%

Forest birds

79 species
+84%

Birds of prey

15 species
+201%

Waterfowl

13 species

Wisconsin Bird Survey Routes

Browse Wisconsin Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Wisconsin.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

American Goshawk -55%Bald Eagle 17×Broad-winged Hawk +90%Cooper's Hawk +108%Northern Harrier -52%Red-shouldered Hawk +16%Red-tailed Hawk +57%Sharp-shinned Hawk -5%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -8%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -42%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

American Black Duck -77%Blue-winged Teal -85%Canada Goose 226×Common Merganser +137%Green-winged Teal -5%Hooded Merganser -20%Mallard -55%Northern Pintail -51%Northern Shoveler +20%Red-breasted Merganser -90%Ring-necked Duck -40%Trumpeter Swan +675%Wood Duck +190%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -55%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

American Bittern -31%Black-crowned Night Heron -21%Great Blue Heron -10%Great Egret +194%Green Heron +18%Least Bittern +17%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +43%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Common Nighthawk -79%Eastern Whip-poor-will -56%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Dickcissel -65%Indigo Bunting +51%Northern Cardinal +237%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +7%Scarlet Tanager -17%

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Turkey Vulture 60×

Treecreepers Certhiidae

Brown Creeper +180%

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +13%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove 16×Mourning Dove +86%Rock Pigeon -28%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +9%Blue Jay +4%Canada Jay -72%Common Raven +237%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -22%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -11%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -4%Merlin +108%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -14%Evening Grosbeak -42%House Finch 44×Pine Siskin -80%Purple Finch -26%Red Crossbill +62%White-winged Crossbill +114%

Loons Gaviidae

Common Loon +20%

Cranes Gruidae

Sandhill Crane 35×

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -91%Barn Swallow +10%Cliff Swallow -21%Northern Rough-winged Swallow -17%Purple Martin -89%Tree Swallow -30%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -23%Bobolink -81%Brewer's Blackbird -84%Brown-headed Cowbird -43%Common Grackle -59%Eastern Meadowlark -75%Orchard Oriole 23×Red-winged Blackbird -33%Western Meadowlark -100%Yellow-headed Blackbird -93%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat -32%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -60%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Black Tern -99%Common Tern -86%Forster's Tern -24%Herring Gull -83%Ring-billed Gull -32%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -54%Gray Catbird +43%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -96%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +359%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +223%Boreal Chickadee -44%Tufted Titmouse +130%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +245%Black-and-white Warbler +262%Black-throated Blue Warbler +502%Black-throated Green Warbler +93%Blackburnian Warbler +168%Blue-winged Warbler +282%Canada Warbler +14%Cape May Warbler +342%Cerulean Warbler +11%Chestnut-sided Warbler +114%Common Yellowthroat +50%Connecticut Warbler -37%Golden-winged Warbler +20%Magnolia Warbler +400%Mourning Warbler +35%Nashville Warbler +96%Northern Parula +142%Northern Waterthrush +382%Ovenbird +83%Palm Warbler -32%Pine Warbler 22×Tennessee Warbler -25%Yellow Warbler +55%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow +85%Clay-colored Sparrow -45%Eastern Towhee -7%Field Sparrow -73%Grasshopper Sparrow -96%Henslow's Sparrow -84%Lark Sparrow +120%LeConte's Sparrow -76%Lincoln's Sparrow +113%Savannah Sparrow -83%Song Sparrow -18%Swamp Sparrow +37%Vesper Sparrow -93%White-throated Sparrow +20%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

House Sparrow -73%

Pelicans Pelecanidae

American White Pelican 22×

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +77%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Gray Partridge -78%Greater Prairie-Chicken -40%Ring-necked Pheasant -68%Ruffed Grouse +99%Sharp-tailed Grouse -29%Wild Turkey 228×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +132%Hairy Woodpecker +203%Pileated Woodpecker +376%Red-bellied Woodpecker +756%Red-headed Woodpecker -78%Yellow-bellied Sapsucker +330%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe -76%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 15×

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -85%Common Gallinule -61%Sora -85%Virginia Rail -65%

Kinglets Regulidae

Golden-crowned Kinglet +103%Ruby-crowned Kinglet -65%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock -77%Spotted Sandpiper -67%Upland Sandpiper -96%Wilson's Snipe -62%

Nuthatches Sittidae

Red-breasted Nuthatch 15×White-breasted Nuthatch +92%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +411%Eastern Screech-Owl +16%Great Horned Owl -26%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -43%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird +280%

Wrens Troglodytidae

Marsh Wren -31%Northern House Wren +79%Sedge Wren -41%Winter Wren +99%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +58%Eastern Bluebird -20%Hermit Thrush +105%Swainson's Thrush -53%Veery +12%Wood Thrush +75%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +43%Alder Flycatcher +77%Eastern Kingbird -33%Eastern Phoebe +1%Eastern Wood-Pewee +61%Great Crested Flycatcher -30%Least Flycatcher -29%Olive-sided Flycatcher -81%Willow Flycatcher +114%Yellow-bellied Flycatcher +101%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo -39%Blue-headed Vireo +518%Red-eyed Vireo +183%Warbling Vireo -16%Yellow-throated Vireo +103%

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