In Canada, the Common Poorwill occurs in low numbers in the southern interior of British Columbia, and in the Cypress Hills region of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Due to its secretive nature and nocturnal habits, there are few data available to determine the species' population status. The species was classified by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as "Data Deficient" in 1993. There have been no updates since that time. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
In the 1980s, there was a negative change point in the Breeding Bird Survey population trends of swallows, swifts, and nightjars across most of North America (Smith et al. 2015). Although several species of aerial-foraging insectivores have shown widespread declines in Canada (Nebel et al. 2010), insufficient data are available to determine whether the Common Poorwill is also affected, or whether any conservation action is required. The species appears to be susceptible to car strikes while foraging along roadsides (Woods et al. 2005). The British Columbia Poorwill Survey, a local version of the United States Nightjar Survey, will provide useful information which may help determine population trends in future.
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.
