Population Estimates

Population size estimates (number of detectable individuals) rounded to the nearest thousand for breeding bird species. Estimates were derived from abundance models based on Atlas point count data (see Analytical Methods). There is a 95% probability that the true population size falls between the lower and upper bounds (95% confidence intervals). Population size was estimated for 103 species with sufficient data. Estimates could not be calculated for rare or uncommon breeding species and for species that tend to be detected less frequently via point count surveys. Population estimates for colonial waterbird species (gulls, terns, skimmers, cormorants and pelicans) as well as Peregrine Falcon and Red-cockaded Woodpecker are reported separately in individual Species Accounts.

Taxonomic Order*Common NameScientific NamePopulation EstimateLower BoundUpper Bound
10Canada GooseBranta canadensis57,00028,000120,000
60MallardAnas platyrhynchos47,00014,000167,000
100Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus173,00093,000342,000
110Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo57,00023,000147,000
140Mourning DoveZenaida macroura1,349,0001,095,0001,666,000
160Rock PigeonColumba livia76,00037,000158,000
170Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus665,000347,0001,293,000
220Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica783,000621,000989,000
230Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubris1,063,000182,0006,242,000
330KilldeerCharadrius vociferus68,00038,000127,000
620Green HeronButorides virescens20,0004,000115,000
650Great Blue HeronArdea herodias73,00023,000232,000
660Black VultureCoragyps atratus74,00024,000237,000
670Turkey VultureCathartes aura255,000127,000513,000
680OspreyPandion haliaetus42,00013,000143,000
700Cooper’s HawkAstur cooperii37,0006,000255,000
720Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus14,0005,00046,000
740Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus117,00065,000213,000
760Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis30,00015,00062,000
820Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon14,0007,00027,000
830Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus110,00035,000354,000
840Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus1,153,000798,0001,673,000
860Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens1,127,000614,0002,068,000
880Hairy WoodpeckerDryobates villosus213,00083,000551,000
890Northern FlickerColaptes auratus202,000112,000368,000
900Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus357,000182,000707,000
940Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus599,000420,000858,000
950Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus245,000150,000403,000
960Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens842,000633,0001,129,000
970Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens542,000394,000752,000
1010Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe612,000446,000843,000
1020White-eyed VireoVireo griseus482,000354,000663,000
1030Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons245,000165,000366,000
1040Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius153,000101,000236,000
1050Eastern Warbling VireoVireo gilvus36,00016,00084,000
1060Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus1,864,0001,751,0001,984,000
1080Blue JayCyanocitta cristata1,107,000879,0001,398,000
1090American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos1,022,000675,0001,557,000
1100Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus98,00044,000224,000
1110Common RavenCorvus corax29,00010,00095,000
1120Carolina ChickadeePoecile carolinensis1,526,0001,212,0001,924,000
1130Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus61,00016,000236,000
1140Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolor1,866,0001,527,0002,282,000
1150Horned LarkEremophila alpestris31,00010,000124,000
1180Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis196,00036,0001,083,000
1190Purple MartinProgne subis65,00038,000111,000
1200Barn SwallowHirundo rustica648,000475,000886,000
1230Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum1,255,000798,0001,977,000
1250White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis737,000496,0001,097,000
1260Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla68,00031,000152,000
1280Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea1,418,0001,125,0001,791,000
1290Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianus2,583,0001,689,0003,962,000
1300Northern House WrenTroglodytes aedon317,000238,000424,000
1330Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis566,000437,000737,000
1340Brown ThrasherToxostoma rufum630,000445,000893,000
1350Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos952,000776,0001,170,000
1360European StarlingSturnus vulgaris1,072,000882,0001,304,000
1370Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis1,206,000937,0001,554,000
1380VeeryCatharus fuscescens77,00031,000213,000
1410Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina425,000357,000507,000
1420American RobinTurdus migratorius1,577,0001,392,0001,789,000
1430House SparrowPasser domesticus256,000190,000345,000
1440House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus732,000554,000967,000
1480American GoldfinchSpinus tristis2,212,0001,100,0004,459,000
1490Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum234,000165,000334,000
1500Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina1,969,0001,598,0002,429,000
1510Field SparrowSpizella pusilla442,000356,000553,000
1520Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis76,00042,000144,000
1580Song SparrowMelospiza melodia1,058,000889,0001,262,000
1600Eastern TowheePipilo erythrophthalmus929,000771,0001,121,000
1610Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens336,000247,000470,000
1630Eastern MeadowlarkSturnella magna323,000253,000414,000
1640Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius323,000218,000482,000
1650Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula176,00097,000321,000
1660Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus415,000337,000513,000
1670Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater1,248,000364,0004,408,000
1680Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula1,159,000944,0001,425,000
1690Boat-tailed GrackleQuiscalus major19,00011,00036,000
1700OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla777,000669,000905,000
1710Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum139,00082,000241,000
1720Louisiana WaterthrushParkesia motacilla230,000113,000471,000
1750Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia297,000243,000364,000
1760Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea26,00013,00055,000
1790Kentucky WarblerGeothlypis formosa44,00029,00069,000
1800Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas365,000273,000493,000
1810Hooded WarblerSetophaga citrina408,000311,000538,000
1820American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla182,000134,000249,000
1830Cerulean WarblerSetophaga cerulea11,0006,00023,000
1840Northern ParulaSetophaga americana244,000141,000430,000
1860Blackburnian WarblerSetophaga fusca59,00029,000128,000
1870Yellow WarblerSetophaga petechia47,00031,00073,000
1880Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica39,00016,000105,000
1890Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens83,00042,000166,000
1900Pine WarblerSetophaga pinus443,000334,000588,000
1920Yellow-throated WarblerSetophaga dominica201,000130,000317,000
1930Prairie WarblerSetophaga discolor215,000159,000297,000
1940Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens79,00048,000137,000
1960Summer TanagerPiranga rubra397,000279,000566,000
1970Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea501,000394,000639,000
1980Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis3,080,0002,600,0003,650,000
1990Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus22,00011,00049,000
2000Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea454,000326,000639,000
2010Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea1,851,0001,646,0002,082,000
*Taxonomic Order – the sequence of values in this field reflects the current understanding of the evolutionary relationships between bird families, based on a classification that follows the American Ornithological Society’s Checklist of North and Middle American Birds, 66th supplement