The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the primary source for critical quantitative data to evaluate the status of continental bird species, keeping common birds common and helping fuel a $75 billion wildlife watching industry. Each year thousands of citizen scientists skilled in avian identification collect data on BBS routes throughout North America allowing us to better understand bird population changes and manage them. The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity jointly coordinate the program, which provides reliable population data and trend analyses on more than 500 bird species.
Participate in the Survey - Each spring over 2500 skilled amateur birders and professional biologists volunteer to participate in the North American BBS. We are always looking for highly skilled birders to join the team.
Get Raw Data - Search and download raw data results
Strategic Plan for the North American Breeding Bird Survey, 2020–30 - The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) has been the cornerstone of continental bird conservation and management for hundreds of North American bird species in the United States and Canada for more than 50 years. This strategic plan was developed in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders and charts the ambitious course for the BBS over the next decade (2020–30). Using this plan as a guide, the BBS program will set out to improve the breadth and depth of standardized data collection and analytical products; ensure its products are widely used and recognized as the authoritative source for long-term population change information for most birds; and secure adequate resources, internally and through partnerships, to realize the expanded vision of the BBS intended to support avian management needs through 2030.
The BBS Action Plan - A companion document to the Strategic Plan for the North American Breeding Bird Survey: 2020-2030, the BBS Action Plan identifies 28 specific actions for the U.S. Geological Survey, Canadian Wildlife Service, Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity and other possible collaborators providing a road map and starting points for accomplishing the three goals and eight strategic objectives of the BBS Strategic Plan over the next decade. The action plan is a living document, subject to annual review and updates as tasks are accomplished and priorities change through time.
BBS Analysis - The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Summary and Analysis Website provides summary information on population change for >500 species of North American birds. The BBS provides data from 1966 for the contiguous United States and southern Canada (the “core” area), and the scope of inference expanded in 1993 to include additional regions in northern Canada and Alaska (the “expanded” area). The website provides geographic displays and quantitative information on population trend (interval-specific yearly percentage changes) and annual indices of abundance for each species at several geographic scales, including survey-wide, states and Provinces, Bird Conservation Regions (physiographic strata), and for individual survey routes in the United States. Custom analyses of population change allow of analysis of change for any combination of years over which the survey was conducted.
BBS Bird ID - The Bird Identification Infocenter is a collection of breeding and wintering distribution maps derived from North American Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count data. Along with maps, images, song and call recordings, and life history information are provided for species encountered along BBS and CBC surveys.
Patuxent Bird Quiz - The Bird Identification Quiz was developed to allow users to test themselves on visual and aural identification of birds likely to be seen on North American Breeding Bird Surveys and Christmas Bird Counts. We also include a quiz in which users get to test their knowledge of wintering and breeding distributions of North American Birds.
More information
- What is the BBS?
- The BBS in Landbird Conservation
- Overview article from Birding magazine, 2010
- BBS data are used extensively in the State of the Birds Report
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Spatio-Temporal Statistical Models for Forecasting Climate Change Effects on Bird Distribution
Comprehensive 1966 - 2017 Results! North American Breeding Bird Survey
Implementing Cross Validation Approaches for Model Selection and Evaluating Goodness of Fit in Complex Hierarchical Models
Design and Analysis of Surveys for Estimation of Temporal and Spatial Change in Animal Populations
The North American Breeding Bird Survey: Refining Scale to Provide New Insights
2022 Release - North American Breeding Bird Survey Dataset (1966-2021)
The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2019
The North American Breeding Bird Survey in Mexico, 2008-2018 - unprocessed data
North American Breeding Bird Survey Dataset 1966 - 2019, version 2019.0
North American Breeding Bird Survey Dataset 1966 - 2018, version 2018.0
The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2018
The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2017
North American Breeding Bird Survey Dataset 1966 - 2016, version 2016.0
Below are USGS publications associated with BBS. For a complete listing of USGS BBS publications, go to the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Strategic Plan for the North American Breeding Bird Survey, 2020–30
The role of the North American Breeding Bird Survey in conservation
Combined analysis of roadside and off-road breeding bird survey data to assess population change in Alaska
Model selection for the North American Breeding Bird Survey: A comparison of methods
The first 50 years of the North American Breeding Bird Survey
Use of North American Breeding Bird Survey data in avian conservation assessments
Integrating Breeding Bird Survey and demographic data to estimate Wood Duck population size in the Atlantic Flyway
Expanding the North American Breeding Bird Survey analysis to include additional species and regions
Long-term and widespread changes in agricultural practices influence ring-necked pheasant abundance in California
Detecting spatial regimes in ecosystems
Bayesian cross-validation for model evaluation and selection, with application to the North American Breeding Bird Survey
Breeding birds in managed forests on public conservation lands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Estimating indices of range shifts in birds using dynamic models when detection is imperfect
North American Breeding Bird Survey Results and Analysis
This website provides visualizations of population change for North American birds using data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). The BBS is analyzed for a "core" area (contiguous United States and southern Canada, results available from 1966-present), and for an "expanded" survey area (including portions of Alaska and northern Canada with results from 1993-present).
- Overview
The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the primary source for critical quantitative data to evaluate the status of continental bird species, keeping common birds common and helping fuel a $75 billion wildlife watching industry. Each year thousands of citizen scientists skilled in avian identification collect data on BBS routes throughout North America allowing us to better understand bird population changes and manage them. The USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity jointly coordinate the program, which provides reliable population data and trend analyses on more than 500 bird species.
Participate in the Survey - Each spring over 2500 skilled amateur birders and professional biologists volunteer to participate in the North American BBS. We are always looking for highly skilled birders to join the team.
Get Raw Data - Search and download raw data results
Strategic Plan for the North American Breeding Bird Survey, 2020–30 - The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) has been the cornerstone of continental bird conservation and management for hundreds of North American bird species in the United States and Canada for more than 50 years. This strategic plan was developed in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders and charts the ambitious course for the BBS over the next decade (2020–30). Using this plan as a guide, the BBS program will set out to improve the breadth and depth of standardized data collection and analytical products; ensure its products are widely used and recognized as the authoritative source for long-term population change information for most birds; and secure adequate resources, internally and through partnerships, to realize the expanded vision of the BBS intended to support avian management needs through 2030.
The BBS Action Plan - A companion document to the Strategic Plan for the North American Breeding Bird Survey: 2020-2030, the BBS Action Plan identifies 28 specific actions for the U.S. Geological Survey, Canadian Wildlife Service, Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity and other possible collaborators providing a road map and starting points for accomplishing the three goals and eight strategic objectives of the BBS Strategic Plan over the next decade. The action plan is a living document, subject to annual review and updates as tasks are accomplished and priorities change through time.
Evening Grosbeak with BBS Trend Map (Credit: Mikey Lutmerding, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Public domain.) BBS Analysis - The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Summary and Analysis Website provides summary information on population change for >500 species of North American birds. The BBS provides data from 1966 for the contiguous United States and southern Canada (the “core” area), and the scope of inference expanded in 1993 to include additional regions in northern Canada and Alaska (the “expanded” area). The website provides geographic displays and quantitative information on population trend (interval-specific yearly percentage changes) and annual indices of abundance for each species at several geographic scales, including survey-wide, states and Provinces, Bird Conservation Regions (physiographic strata), and for individual survey routes in the United States. Custom analyses of population change allow of analysis of change for any combination of years over which the survey was conducted.
BBS Bird ID - The Bird Identification Infocenter is a collection of breeding and wintering distribution maps derived from North American Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count data. Along with maps, images, song and call recordings, and life history information are provided for species encountered along BBS and CBC surveys.
Patuxent Bird Quiz - The Bird Identification Quiz was developed to allow users to test themselves on visual and aural identification of birds likely to be seen on North American Breeding Bird Surveys and Christmas Bird Counts. We also include a quiz in which users get to test their knowledge of wintering and breeding distributions of North American Birds.
More information
- What is the BBS?
- The BBS in Landbird Conservation
- Overview article from Birding magazine, 2010
- BBS data are used extensively in the State of the Birds Report
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Spatio-Temporal Statistical Models for Forecasting Climate Change Effects on Bird Distribution
Ecological indicators of climate change are needed to measure concurrent changes in ecological systems, inform management decisions, and forecast the consequences of climate change. We seek to develop robust bird-based, climate-change indicators using North American Breeding Bird Survey data.Comprehensive 1966 - 2017 Results! North American Breeding Bird Survey
The North American Breeding Bird Survey program (BBS) provides critical science-based population data for more than 400 bird species to improve our understanding of how these federally entrusted species respond to environmental variability and ecosystem change. The BBS generates results that inform Federal wildlife managers in the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, Department of...Implementing Cross Validation Approaches for Model Selection and Evaluating Goodness of Fit in Complex Hierarchical Models
It is (relatively) easy to construct complex hierarchical models for analysis of the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), but deciding which model best describes population change is difficult. We are developing methods for model selection for BBS and other important survey data sets, and using them to refine our estimates of population change from this important survey.Design and Analysis of Surveys for Estimation of Temporal and Spatial Change in Animal Populations
Designing and analyzing large-scale animal surveys is an important focus of our research. Although we conduct research into analysis methods for many surveys, the primary focus of this project is to conduct analyses and develop web-based summaries of data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS).The North American Breeding Bird Survey: Refining Scale to Provide New Insights
The Challenge: Since 1966, the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) has filled a vital role in identifying at-risk bird species for Federal, State, and private entities. The BBS is a scientifically rigorous population count performed by a highly skilled, largely volunteer work force of nearly 2,500 observers. Every year these observers visit most of the survey’s 4,500 routes, which consist of... - Data
2022 Release - North American Breeding Bird Survey Dataset (1966-2021)
The 1966-2021 North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) dataset contains avian point count data for more than 700 North American bird taxa (species, races, and unidentified species groupings). These data are collected annually during the breeding season, primarily in June, along thousands of randomly established roadside survey routes in the United States and Canada. Routes are roughly 24.5 milesThe North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2019
This data product consists of a database of population change and abundance estimates for North American birds, estimated from North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Data are presented for 548 species of birds in 4 spreadsheets containing trend estimates and annual indices for 2 time periods. Estimates are derived for each species using the 1 of 4 alternative models, and a cross-validatioThe North American Breeding Bird Survey in Mexico, 2008-2018 - unprocessed data
This dataset includes all North American Breeding Bird Survey data collected in Mexico between 2008-2018. These data were used as the basis for all analyses discussed in an associated publication: The North American Breeding Bird Survey in Mexico, 2008-2018 - A Status Report; https:doi.org/10.3133/cir1479. The records include avian point count data for all reported taxa (species, races, and unidNorth American Breeding Bird Survey Dataset 1966 - 2019, version 2019.0
The 1966-2018 North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) dataset contains avian point count data for more than 700 North American bird taxa (species, races, and unidentified species groupings). These data are collected annually during the breeding season, primarily in June, along thousands of randomly established roadside survey routes in the United States and Canada. Routes are roughly 24.5 milesNorth American Breeding Bird Survey Dataset 1966 - 2018, version 2018.0
The 1966-2018 North American Breeding Bird Survey dataset contains avian point count data for more than 700 North American bird taxa (primarily species, but also some races and unidentified species groupings). These data are collected annually during the breeding season, primarily June and May, along thousands of randomly established roadside survey routes in the United States and Canada. RoutesThe North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2018
This data product consists of a database of population change and abundance estimates for North American birds, estimated from North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Data are presented for 548 species of birds in 4 spreadsheets containing trend estimates and annual indices for 2 time periods. Estimates are derived for each species using the 1 of 4 alternative models, and a cross-validatioThe North American Breeding Bird Survey, Analysis Results 1966 - 2017
This data product consists of a database of population change and relative abundance estimates for North American birds, estimated from North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Data are presented in 6 separate spreadsheets for 2 methods of trend summary and 3 time periods for 548 species of birds. Metadata for the BBS data used to produce these estimates is available from a USGS ftp site (fNorth American Breeding Bird Survey Dataset 1966 - 2016, version 2016.0
The 1966-2016 North American Breeding Bird Survey dataset contains avian point count data for more than 700 North American bird taxa (primarily species, but also some races and unidentified species groupings). These data are collected annually during the breeding season, primarily June and May, along thousands of randomly established roadside survey routes in the United States and Canada. Routes - Publications
Below are USGS publications associated with BBS. For a complete listing of USGS BBS publications, go to the USGS Publications Warehouse.
Strategic Plan for the North American Breeding Bird Survey, 2020–30
The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) has been the cornerstone of continental bird conservation and management for hundreds of North American bird species in the United States and Canada for more than 50 years. This strategic plan was developed in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders and charts the ambitious course for the BBS over the next decade (2020–30). Using this plan asAuthors,Filter Total Items: 20The role of the North American Breeding Bird Survey in conservation
The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) was established in 1966 in response to a lack of quantitative data on changes in the populations of many bird species at a continental scale, especially songbirds. The BBS now provides the most reliable regional and continental trends and annual indices of abundance available for >500 bird species. This paper reviews some of the ways in which BBS dataAuthorsMarie-Anne R. Hudson, Charles M. Francis, Kate J. Campbell, Constance M. Downes, Adam C. Smith, Keith L. PardieckCombined analysis of roadside and off-road breeding bird survey data to assess population change in Alaska
Management interest in North American birds has increasingly focused on species that breed in Alaska, USA, and Canada, where habitats are changing rapidly in response to climatic and anthropogenic factors. We used a series of hierarchical models to estimate rates of population change in 2 forested Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs) in Alaska based on data from the roadside North American Breeding BiAuthorsColleen M. Handel, John R. SauerModel selection for the North American Breeding Bird Survey: A comparison of methods
The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) provides data for >420 bird species at multiple geographic scales over 5 decades. Modern computational methods have facilitated the fitting of complex hierarchical models to these data. It is easy to propose and fit new models, but little attention has been given to model selection. Here, we discuss and illustrate model selection using leave-one-out crAuthorsWilliam A. Link, John R. Sauer, Daniel NivenThe first 50 years of the North American Breeding Bird Survey
The vision of Chandler (Chan) S. Robbins for a continental-scale omnibus survey of breeding birds led to the development of the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). Chan was uniquely suited to develop the BBS. His position as a government scientist had given him experience with designing and implementing continental-scale surveys, his research background made him an effective advocate of theAuthorsJohn R. Sauer, David Ziolkowski, Keith L. Pardieck, Adam C. Smith, Marie-Anne R. Hudson, Vicente Rodriguez, Humberto Berlanga, Daniel Niven, William A. LinkUse of North American Breeding Bird Survey data in avian conservation assessments
Conservation resources are limited, and prioritizing species based on their relative vulnerability and risk of extinction is a fundamental component of conservation planning. In North America, the conservation consortium Partners in Flight (PIF) has developed and implemented a data-driven species assessment process, at global and regional scales, based on quantitative vulnerability criteria. ThisAuthorsKenneth V. Rosenberg, Peter J. Blancher, Jessica C. Stanton, Arvind O. PanjabiIntegrating Breeding Bird Survey and demographic data to estimate Wood Duck population size in the Atlantic Flyway
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) uses data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) to assist in monitoring and management of some migratory birds. However, BBS analyses provide indices of population change rather than estimates of population size, precluding their use in developing abundance-based objectives and limiting applicability to harvest management. Wood Ducks (Aix spoAuthorsGuthrie S. Zimmerman, John R. Sauer, G. Scott Boomer, Patrick K. Devers, Pamela R. GarrettsonExpanding the North American Breeding Bird Survey analysis to include additional species and regions
The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) contains data for >700 bird species, but analyses often focus on a core group of ∼420 species. We analyzed data for 122 species of North American birds for which data exist in the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) database but are not routinely analyzed on the BBS Summary and Analysis Website. Many of these species occur in the northern part ofAuthorsJohn R. Sauer, Daniel Niven, Keith L. Pardieck, David Ziolkowski, William A. LinkLong-term and widespread changes in agricultural practices influence ring-necked pheasant abundance in California
Declines in bird populations in agricultural regions of North America and Europe have been attributed to agricultural industrialization, increases in use of agrochemical application, and increased predation related to habitat modification. Based on count data compiled from Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) from 1974 to 2012, Christmas Bird Count (CBC) collected from 1914 to 2013, and hunter data from AnnAuthorsPeter S. Coates, Brianne E. Brussee, Kristy B. Howe, Joseph P. Fleskes, Ian Dwight, Daniel P. Connelly, Matt G. Meshriy, Scott C. GardnerDetecting spatial regimes in ecosystems
Research on early warning indicators has generally focused on assessing temporal transitions with limited application of these methods to detecting spatial regimes. Traditional spatial boundary detection procedures that result in ecoregion maps are typically based on ecological potential (i.e. potential vegetation), and often fail to account for ongoing changes due to stressors such as land use chAuthorsShana M. Sundstrom, Tarsha Eason, R. John Nelson, David G. Angeler, Chris Barichievy, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Nicholas A.J. Graham, Dean Granholm, Lance Gunderson, Melinda Knutson, Kirsty L. Nash, Trisha Spanbauer, Craig A. Stow, Craig R. AllenBayesian cross-validation for model evaluation and selection, with application to the North American Breeding Bird Survey
The analysis of ecological data has changed in two important ways over the last 15 years. The development and easy availability of Bayesian computational methods has allowed and encouraged the fitting of complex hierarchical models. At the same time, there has been increasing emphasis on acknowledging and accounting for model uncertainty. Unfortunately, the ability to fit complex models has outstrAuthorsWilliam A. Link, John R. SauerBreeding birds in managed forests on public conservation lands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
Managers of public conservation lands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley have implemented forest management strategies to improve bottomland hardwood habitat for target wildlife species. Through implementation of various silvicultural practices, forest managers have sought to attain forest structural conditions (e.g., canopy cover, basal area, etc.) within values postulated to benefit wildlife. WeAuthorsDaniel J. Twedt, R. Randy WilsonEstimating indices of range shifts in birds using dynamic models when detection is imperfect
There is intense interest in basic and applied ecology about the effect of global change on current and future species distributions. Projections based on widely used static modeling methods implicitly assume that species are in equilibrium with the environment and that detection during surveys is perfect. We used multiseason correlated detection occupancy models, which avoid these assumptions, toAuthorsMatthew J. Clement, James E. Hines, James D. Nichols, Keith L. Pardieck, David J. Ziolkowski - Web Tools
North American Breeding Bird Survey Results and Analysis
This website provides visualizations of population change for North American birds using data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). The BBS is analyzed for a "core" area (contiguous United States and southern Canada, results available from 1966-present), and for an "expanded" survey area (including portions of Alaska and northern Canada with results from 1993-present).
- News