Formerly known as the Water Pipit, the American Pipit breeds across the arctic tundra in Canada's far north, as well as throughout the alpine meadows of western and eastern Canada. Populations are well monitored on the wintering grounds by the North American Christmas Bird Count, which indicates little overall change in population since 1970. With more than 80% of the breeding population, Canada's responsibility for this species is very high. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Although there are currently few known urgent conservation concerns for this species, drainage of wetlands may have degraded some migration and wintering habitats (Hendricks and Verbeek 2012). Alpine breeding habitat may become more fragmented as a result of the impact of climate change on vegetation (Hendricks and Verbeek 2012). Climate change may also have an impact on the arctic breeding habitat of this species. However, as a species that breeds mainly in areas far from human populations, conservation concerns are likely greater for the wintering areas in the settled parts of the southern United States and Central America. The population estimate is a rough estimation because this species breeds in northern areas from which there are few data.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
