Population status

Le Conte's Sparrow
(Ammodramus leconteii)

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) provides the best available information on this species in Canada. Despite population fluctuations, the BBS suggests an overall population decrease of about 49%. However, only about one-third of the breeding population in Canada is covered by the BBS. Bird Conservation Regions show contrasting results, as demonstrated by those with reasonably reliable trends, displayed below. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) provides good coverage of the species' wintering range. About 90% of the continental population of this species breeds in Canada so, although the CBC includes both birds breeding in Canada and the United States, it largely reflects the Canadian population. In contrast to the BBS, CBC results suggest a moderate increase in the continental populations since about 1970. The abundance of this species fluctuates markedly from year to year, with abundance being higher in "wet" years than in "dry" years (Lowther 2005) and this may add to the complexity of results. Based on BBS as the primary source of monitoring data, Le Conte's sparrow is thought to have shown a moderate decrease in population since 1970 but, because of conflicting results between the two surveys, this assessment is considered to be of low reliability.

Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis

Additional information on: Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis

View definitions of table column headings being used by: Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis

Table 1: Population trends by geographic area
Geographic area	Time Period ^{Table 1 - footnote 1}	Annual trend ^{Table 1 - footnote 2}	Intervals ^{Table 1 - footnote3}
Geographic area	Time Period ^{Table 1 - footnote 1}	Annual trend ^{Table 1 - footnote 2}	Lower	Upper
Canada Select to view graph of the geographic area: Canada 1970-2012; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis	1970-2012	-1.6	-3.2	0.1
Boreal Taiga Plains Select to view graph of the geographic area: Boreal Taiga Plains 1970-2012; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis	1970-2012	-2.3	-4	-0.5
Prairie Potholes Select to view graph of the geographic area: Prairie Potholes 1970-2012; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis	1970-2012	0.2	-1.3	1.8

Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Additional information on: Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

View definitions of table column headings being used by: Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Table 2: Population trends by geographic area
Geographic area	Time Period	Annual trend ^{Table 2 - footnote 1}	Limits
Geographic area	Time Period	Annual trend ^{Table 2 - footnote 1}	Lower	Upper
North America	1965-2012	1.1	-0.5	3.1

References

Dale, B.C., P.A. Martin, and P.S. Taylor. 1997. Effects of hay management on grassland songbirds in Saskatchewan. Wildlife Society Bulletin 25:616-626. Dale, B.C., P.A. Martin, and P.S. Taylor. 1997. Effects of hay management on grassland songbirds in Saskatchewan. Wildlife Society Bulletin 25:616-626. (Link)
Grant, T.A., E. M. Madden, T.L. Shaffer and J.S. Dockens. 2010. Effects of prescribed fire on vegetation and passerine birds in northern mixed-grass prairie. Journal of Wildlife Management 74:1841-1851.
Lowther, P.E. 2005. Le Conte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Lowther, P.E. 2005. Le Conte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
Madden, E.M., A.J. Hansen and R.K. Murphy. 1999. Influence of prescribed fire history on habitat and abundance of passerine birds in mixed-grass prairie. Canadian Field Naturalist 113:627-640.
Winter, M., J.A. Shaffer, D.H. Johnson, T.M. Donovan, W.D. Svedarsky, P.W. Jones, and B.R. Euliss. 2005. Habitat and nesting of Le Conte's Sparrows in the northern tallgrass prairie. Journal of Field Ornithology 76:61-71. Winter, M., J.A. Shaffer, D.H. Johnson, T.M. Donovan, W.D. Svedarsky, P.W. Jones, and B.R. Euliss. 2005. Habitat and nesting of Le Conte's Sparrows in the northern tallgrass prairie. Journal of Field Ornithology 76:61-71. (Link)