The Buff-breasted Sandpiper breeds in the coastal tundra of Arctic Canada. Historically, the species’ population was greatly reduced by market hunting. Several site-specific studies have documented large decreases relative to about 1970, leading to high conservation concern for the species. However, additional information is needed to adequately describe the species’ population status. Until more information is available, the species is considered to be data deficient. With more than 80% of the global breeding population, Canada's responsibility for the species is very high. In 2012, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper was assessed as Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC 2012d) due to suspected population declines tied to habitat loss on the wintering grounds and along migration routes. The species was listed as such under the Species at Risk Act in 2017. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The species was once common and perhaps even abundant historically, but it suffered severe declines due to intensive market hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its population has grown since hunting was banned in North America, but numbers remain low (McCarty et al. 2017). The species' small population size means that even local disturbances can pose a major threat. Ongoing loss and degradation of the species' preferred grassland habitats used during migration and winter, as well as exposure to agricultural chemicals, are significant threats to the Buff-breasted Sandpiper (McCarty et al. 2017; COSEWIC 2012d). Climate change may also be a signficant threat to this Arctic-breeding shorebird throughout its annual cycle, both through changes in food and habitat availability, and direct mortality from increasing storm intensity (COSEWIC 2012d).
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.