To access bird population trends based on breeding birds
surveys go to: http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/

>From there, find the trend by region data which should be:
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/reglist00.html
Click on the state you are interested in to generate a
species list. Click on the species to see a trend graph.

BARN SWALLOWS have shown a decline in Oregon and Washington
since 1966 (the beginning of the accessible database), but
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS have shown an increase.

The cold spring this year has affected swallow numbers. All
swallow numbers were well below average on my BBS route this
year. When I processed the data from the BBS I've done since
1990, I found that swallow populations go through fairly
regular peaks and crashes, which I'd bet would correspond with
weather local weather trends.

newboldwildlife at netscape.net wrote:
>
> Hi Tweets,
> Thanks to Andrea Garcia for bringing up the issue of Violet Green Swallow and Purple Finch populations.
> I believe we are witnessing as we speak a decline of 3 species of swallows (Barn, VG, and maybe Cliff) of very serious proportions. I have no written data and I'm very aware that people with strong convictions and no data can be dangerous, but I have lived in the same house on Beacon Hill for 18 years and have the swallow families on the hill along my commute generally plotted out in my mind. Most are now gone, over the last 2 to five years. Also, I have done fairs in places like Bellevue Square at the same time each year for 19 years and noted an eventual decline to zero in Barn Swallow sightings. Ditto for Violet Green Swallows during the breeding season at the Pike Place Market.
> We lost the Common Nighthawk very fast, and in my opinion we are going to lose the upland residential portion of the Barn Swallow population completely, and we have already lost much of the Violet Green Swallow population. I personally don't think it has anything to do with what is called habitat destruction because these habitats have already gone throught that. I would be beside myself with the surprise if the Crow wasn't the--or one of the--big factors in killing off the Nighthawk, but in the case of swallows, it seems like a lot just aren't returning in the spring.
> I wish someone could tell me.
> (As for the Purple Finch, that bird is being crucified on a cross of sunflower seeds).
> --Ed Newbold (Kevin Li, Kris Baker, Delia and I watched a 2 Robins, 2 Towhees, a Western Wood Pewee and a Downy Woodpecker scold what turned out to be a Long Tailed Weasel at Scatter Creek Natural area by Little Rock, S of Olympia, last Sunday).--Beacon Hill, Seattle, newboldwildlife at netscape.net
>
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--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html