I’ve watched bar-tailed godwits feed at Coombabah Lakelands, on the Gold Coast, more than seven times. Some of these shorebirds breed in Alaska, then fly nonstop across the Pacific. Follow them on our godwit migration map.
For this reason, birds like these remind me that no country’s birds belong to it alone. So when American birds decline, the loss echoes worldwide.
And they are declining. North America has lost about 3 billion birds since 1970. In fact, that is more than one in four.
This guide covers the endangered birds of the US in 2026. You’ll meet 12 species at risk, the greatest threat they face and the comebacks that give us hope.
🦅 Could you save a species?
Twelve questions on America’s rarest birds and their comebacks. Read on, then test yourself at the end.
Jump to the quiz ↓How Many Birds Are Endangered in the US?
First, the answer depends on how you count. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 gives federal protection to dozens of US birds. Many of them live in Hawaii.
However, the legal list only shows birds already in deep trouble. The U.S. State of the Birds 2025 report paints a wider picture.
- 229 bird species need urgent conservation action.
- 112 “Tipping Point” species have lost more than half their numbers in 50 years.
- 42 “red alert” species have perilously low populations.
Meanwhile, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protects more than 1,000 native species. It makes it illegal to kill or sell them without a permit.
Even common, widely distributed birds are slipping. As a result, many species that seem safe today could become threatened birds tomorrow.
12 Endangered Birds of the US You Should Know
1. California Condor
The California condor is North America’s largest flying land bird. In fact, its wings span nearly 10 feet.
By 1982, only 22 condors were left. Then, in 1987, biologists caught the last wild bird. Every condor on Earth lived in captivity.
Thanks to captive breeding, the population reached 607 by the end of 2025. Of these, 392 fly free in California, northern Arizona, Utah and Baja California, Mexico.
Still, California condors remain one of the most critically endangered species in the US. Lead from bullet fragments in carcasses is the main killer. In 2023, bird flu also killed 21 birds in the Arizona–Utah flock.
Biologists even vaccinate condors against West Nile virus. Meet their southern cousin in our Andean condor facts.
2. Whooping Crane
At about five feet tall, the whooping crane is North America’s tallest bird. It is also one of its rarest.
In 1941, only about 15 migrating whooping cranes were left. Hunting and wetland drainage had nearly wiped them out.
Today, however, the only self-sustaining wild flock breeds in Canada and winters in Texas. In the winter of 2025–26, about 540 cranes wintered on the Texas coast.
That is a huge comeback, but one storm or disease outbreak could still hit the whole flock. Compare it with the far more common sandhill crane.
3. Florida Grasshopper Sparrow
This shy sparrow is often called North America’s most endangered bird. It lives only on the dry prairies of central Florida, and it is still considered endangered.
By the late 2010s, only a few dozen breeding pairs survived. In response, conservationists began releasing captive-bred birds in 2019.
In July 2024, they released the 1,000th sparrow. Meanwhile, breeding pairs at one release site rose from 11 in 2018 to at least 37 in 2023.
The birds also need fire. For example, prescribed burns keep the prairie open, just as natural lightning fires once did.
4. Florida Scrub-Jay
The Florida scrub-jay is the only bird species found only in Florida. Unlike most jays, it lives in family groups, and young birds help raise their siblings.
Above all, it depends on low oak scrub on old sandy ridges. However, developers love those same dry ridges for houses and orange groves.
Scrub also needs regular fire. Without it, the oaks grow too tall for jays. As a result, numbers fell about 90% in a century.
It has been federally threatened since 1987. I’ve only been to Florida once, as a kid, so this bird is still on my list. Explore more birds of Florida.
5. Piping Plover
The piping plover is a sand-coloured shorebird that nests on open beaches. Its eggs are almost invisible against the sand.
However, that camouflage can’t protect it from people, dogs and vehicles. Predation is a problem too, because foxes, gulls and raccoons raid the nests.
The Great Lakes population is endangered. By 1990, only about a dozen pairs nested there, all in northern Michigan.
Since then, fencing nests and guarding beaches has worked. In 2026, a record 99 pairs nested on all five Great Lakes.
6. Marbled Murrelet
The marbled murrelet is a small seabird in the auk family. Yet it nests high in old-growth trees, often miles inland.
Each pair lays a single egg on a wide, mossy branch. Then the parents commute to the sea to catch fish.
Because logging removed so much old-growth forest, the murrelet is threatened in Washington, Oregon and California. Most of the world’s murrelets live in Alaska.
Meet more ocean wanderers in our guide to seabirds you must know.
7. Northern Spotted Owl
This dark-eyed owl lives in the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California.
It has been listed as threatened since 1990, mainly because of logging. Since then, a new problem has arrived from the east.
The larger barred owl spread west and now outcompetes it. In 2024, the Fish and Wildlife Service approved a plan to remove barred owls from parts of the range.
8. Golden-cheeked Warbler
This black-and-yellow songbird nests only in central Texas. Afterward, it spends the winter in southern Mexico and Central America.
Females build nests from strips of bark peeled from mature Ashe juniper trees. So when developers clear old juniper-oak woodland, the warbler loses its nesting material too.
It has been endangered since 1990. Find more birds from Texas on the blog.
9. Gunnison Sage-Grouse
Every spring, male Gunnison sage-grouse puff out their chests and strut on dancing grounds called leks.
This grouse lives only in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah. In fact, most birds survive in a single area, the Gunnison Basin.
Roads, houses and agriculture break up the sagebrush it needs. Consequently, it was listed as threatened in 2014.
10. Hawaiian Stilt (Aeʻo)
The Hawaiian stilt is an endangered subspecies of the black-necked stilt. It wades on long pink legs through Hawaii’s wetlands.
Most counts find roughly 1,500 to 2,000 birds. Meanwhile, many wetlands were drained for farms and towns.
Invasive predators such as mongooses, rats and cats also eat its eggs. Learn more about animals from Hawaii.
11. Hawaiian Honeycreepers
Hawaii’s honeycreepers once filled the islands with colour. Of more than 50 known species, only 17 remain today.
Today, the main killer is avian malaria, spread by mosquitoes that people brought to Hawaii. Warmer weather now lets mosquitoes reach higher forests, so birds lose their last safe refuges.
By 2024, the ʻakikiki of Kauaʻi was considered functionally extinct in the wild. Only a few birds remain, mostly in captivity.
However, there is a new tool. Since 2023, scientists have released male mosquitoes that carry Wolbachia bacteria. Their eggs don’t hatch, so mosquito numbers should fall.
12. ʻAlalā (Hawaiian Crow)
The ʻalalā is a clever crow that once lived on Hawaiʻi Island. It has been extinct in the wild since 2002.
Between 2016 and 2019, conservationists released young crows into the forest. Sadly, native hawks called ʻio killed many of them, and the survivors returned to captivity.
As a result, the ʻalalā now survives only in breeding centres. Even so, its keepers are still working to return it to the wild.
Birds the US Has Already Lost
In October 2023, the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared 21 species extinct. Ten of them were birds.
For example, they included Bachman’s warbler from the Southeast and eight Hawaiian forest birds. Among them was the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, whose last known song was recorded in 1987.
Bachman’s warbler once nested in swampy bottomland forests. Clearing those forests destroyed its habitat. Read more about extinct birds and animals that went extinct recently.
The Greatest Threat to Endangered Birds: Habitat Loss
Climate change gets the headlines. Yet habitat loss remains the greatest threat to most US birds. Habitat destruction usually happens slowly, one field or wetland at a time.
- Agriculture: bigger farms remove hedgerows, grasslands and wetlands across large parts of the country.
- Urban sprawl: cities break natural areas into patches too small for breeding birds.
- Wetland drainage: the lower 48 states have lost more than half their original wetlands.
- Logging: cutting old-growth forest removes nest trees for owls and murrelets.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, for example, most tidal marsh vanished under salt ponds and cities. The endangered Ridgway’s rail still clings to what remains.
The Cascade Effect
Habitat loss also works like a chain reaction. When native plants disappear, so do the insects that feed on them.
Then, in turn, the birds lose their food. A pair of chickadees needs 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to raise a single brood.
Research by Doug Tallamy’s team found that chickadees struggle where non-native plants dominate. In short, native gardens feed native birds.
Other Threats Facing Endangered Birds
Climate Change
Two-thirds of North American bird species face rising extinction risk from climate change, according to Audubon scientists.
Rising seas are a clear example. The saltmarsh sparrow nests in tidal marshes, and higher tides now flood its nests. One study warned its population could collapse within 50 years.
Cats and Other Invasive Species
At university in Sweden, I ran a short experiment with friends. We measured how a predator on an open plain affected birds’ foraging time.
Now picture that pressure from millions of free-roaming cats. In the US, cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds a year. Read how cats contribute to bird extinction.
Other invasive species cause harm too. European starlings and house sparrows steal nest holes, while rats raid island colonies. See the invasive species of Florida.
Window Strikes
Up to 1 billion birds die each year after hitting buildings in the US. Cities like New York and Chicago now dim their lights during migration.
Cars kill millions more, possibly up to 340 million a year. Power lines and wind turbines add to the toll.
Pesticides and Lead
DDT was banned in 1972, but newer pesticides still cause harm. In one study, white-crowned sparrows that ate neonicotinoid-treated seeds lost weight and delayed migration.
Lead is also a poison. Condors, eagles and other scavengers swallow bullet fragments in carcasses.
Disease
Finally, disease can strike fast. West Nile virus, avian malaria and bird flu all kill birds, and small populations can’t absorb the losses. Above all, human activity spreads many of these diseases.
Comeback Birds: Proof That Conservation Works
The good news is real. With federal protection and long-term conservation efforts, several birds have bounced back.
Bald Eagle
In 1963, only 417 nesting pairs of bald eagles remained in the lower 48 states. DDT made their eggshells too thin to hatch.
After DDT was banned, however, eagles recovered. They left the endangered list in 2007, and more than 300,000 now live in the lower 48.
Peregrine Falcon
By the mid-1960s, peregrine falcons no longer nested anywhere east of the Mississippi. DDT was again the cause.
Eventually, captive breeding and releases brought them back. They were removed from the endangered list in 1999, and many now nest on skyscrapers.
Do not forget to check them on our interactive tool about the fastest animals alive.
Brown Pelican
DDT also crashed brown pelican numbers. Protection helped them recover, and they left the endangered list in 2009.
Wood Stork
The wood stork is the only stork that breeds in the United States. It was listed in 1984, when few colonies remained.
Fortunately, wetland restoration changed its fate. Today, 10,000 to 14,000 pairs nest across the Southeast, and the stork was removed from the list in March 2026.
Kirtland’s Warbler
This songbird nests only in young jack pine forests, mainly in Michigan. In the 1970s, fewer than 200 singing males remained.
Then planting jack pines and controlling cowbirds turned things around. Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources and its partners helped it leave the endangered list in 2019. See more birds of Michigan.
Trumpeter Swan
By the 1930s, fewer than 70 trumpeter swans survived in the lower 48. Now, more than 60,000 live across North America. Discover more types of waterfowl.
Nēnē (Hawaiian Goose)
Hawaii’s state bird dropped to about 30 birds in the 1950s. Thanks to captive breeding and releases, there are now more than 3,000.
In 2019, it was downlisted from endangered to threatened. Similarly, the red-cockaded woodpecker was downlisted in 2024, after growing from about 1,470 family groups to 7,800.
How You Can Help Endangered Birds
The challenge is big, but your choices still matter. Here are practical steps. For more, read how to save endangered animals.
Make Your Yard Bird-Friendly
- Plant native species that feed insects, and therefore birds.
- Cut back on pesticides around your home.
- Add window decals or screens to stop collisions.
- Keep cats indoors or in an enclosed outdoor run.
- Offer clean water in a bird bath.
Support Bird Conservation Groups
- American Bird Conservancy works on policy and on-the-ground projects.
- National Audubon Society combines research, education and advocacy.
- Partners in Flight coordinates bird conservation across countries.
- Species groups like the International Crane Foundation focus on a single family.
Become a Citizen Scientist
- Log your sightings on eBird.
- Join a Christmas Bird Count with your local Audubon chapter.
- New to birding? Start with our birding for beginners guide.
Birdwatching matters to the economy too. In 2022, about 148 million Americans watched wildlife, according to a federal survey.
FAQs About Endangered Birds in the US
The Florida grasshopper sparrow is often called North America’s most endangered bird. Several Hawaiian honeycreepers, such as the ʻakikiki, are even rarer in the wild. The California condor is critically endangered too.
Dozens of US birds are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, many of them in Hawaii. In addition, the State of the Birds 2025 report says 229 species need urgent conservation action.
Habitat loss is the greatest threat. Cats, window strikes, pesticides, disease and climate change add to the pressure.
North America has lost about 3 billion birds since 1970. That is more than one in four birds.
In 2023, the US Fish and Wildlife Service declared 10 birds extinct. These included Bachman’s warbler, the bridled white-eye of Guam and eight Hawaiian forest birds.
No. The bald eagle left the endangered list in 2007. More than 300,000 now live in the lower 48 states.
Plant native species, keep cats indoors and add window decals. You can also log sightings on eBird and support bird conservation groups.
Keep the Dawn Chorus Alive
The condor, the eagle and the pelican prove one thing. When people act early and keep going, birds come back.
The next decade will decide the fate of many more. So plant something native, put up a window decal and tell a friend. Then compare these birds with others in our Endangered Animals Explorer.
Want more? Read about the endangered birds and animals of the world or the animals of the United States. Which American bird would you most like to see recover?
References:
Bateman, B. L., Wilsey, C., Taylor, L., Wu, J., LeBaron, G. S., & Langham, G. (2020). North American birds require mitigation and adaptation to reduce vulnerability to climate change. Conservation Science and Practice, 2(8), e242. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.242
Eng, M. L., Stutchbury, B. J. M., & Morrissey, C. A. (2019). A neonicotinoid insecticide reduces fueling and delays migration in songbirds. Science, 365(6458), 1177–1180. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw9419
Field, C. R., Bayard, T. S., Gjerdrum, C., Hill, J. M., Meiman, S., & Elphick, C. S. (2017). High-resolution tide projections reveal extinction threshold in response to sea-level rise. Global Change Biology, 23(5), 2058–2070. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13519
Loss, S. R., Will, T., Loss, S. S., & Marra, P. P. (2014). Bird–building collisions in the United States: Estimates of annual mortality and species vulnerability. The Condor, 116(1), 8–23. https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-13-090.1
Loss, S. R., Will, T., & Marra, P. P. (2013). The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States. Nature Communications, 4, 1396. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2380
Narango, D. L., Tallamy, D. W., & Marra, P. P. (2018). Nonnative plants reduce population growth of an insectivorous bird. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(45), 11549–11554. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809259115
Rosenberg, K. V., Dokter, A. M., Blancher, P. J., Sauer, J. R., Smith, A. C., Smith, P. A., Stanton, J. C., Panjabi, A., Helft, L., Parr, M., & Marra, P. P. (2019). Decline of the North American avifauna. Science, 366(6461), 120–124. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw1313
Walters, J. R., Derrickson, S. R., Fry, D. M., Haig, S. M., Marzluff, J. M., & Wunderle, J. M. (2010). Status of the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and efforts to achieve its recovery. The Auk, 127(4), 969–1001. https://doi.org/10.1525/auk.2010.127.4.969
