Population status

American Redstart
(Setophaga ruticilla)

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the most reliable survey for monitoring the Canadian population of American Redstarts although northern portions of the range are not well covered. BBS results indicate the species has shown little overall change in population at the national level since 1970. However, with such a widespread species, regional variations in population trends are both expected and observed. Population decreases are most pronounced in the Great Basin Bird Conservation Region (BCR), and to a lesser extent in the Northern Rockies BCR (all BCRs for which there are reliable BBS trends are shown below). Large population increases are seen in the Prairie Potholes, Northern Pacific Rainforest, and Lower Great Lakes/St Lawrence Plain BCRs. The American Redstart population is within acceptable levels of variation around the national population goal (see Canada graph below).

 

Population goal and acceptable levels of variation

Species/groupGoalLower levelUpper level
American RedstartMean abundance (first 5 years of survey)Goal minus 25% Not applicable

Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis

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

Table 1: Population trends by geographic area
Geographic areaTime Period Table 1 - footnote 1 Annual trend Table 1 - footnote 2 Limits
LowerUpper
Canada Select to view graph of the geographic area: Canada 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-20160-0.40.4
Canada Select to view graph of the geographic area: Canada 2006-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis2006-20160.2-1.21.3
Northern Pacific Rainforest Select to view graph of the geographic area: Northern Pacific Rainforest 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2016203.9
Boreal Taiga Plains Select to view graph of the geographic area: Boreal Taiga Plains 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-20160.2-11.4
Boreal Softwood Shield Select to view graph of the geographic area: Boreal Softwood Shield 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-20160.5-0.41.5
Great Basin Select to view graph of the geographic area: Great Basin 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2016-5.6-8.1-3.1
Northern Rockies Select to view graph of the geographic area: Northern Rockies 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2016-0.8-1.70.1
Prairie Potholes Select to view graph of the geographic area: Prairie Potholes 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-20162.40.54.3
Boreal Hardwood Transition Select to view graph of the geographic area: Boreal Hardwood Transition 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2016-0.3-0.70.2
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain Select to view graph of the geographic area: Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-20161.30.72
Atlantic Northern Forest Select to view graph of the geographic area: Atlantic Northern Forest 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2016-0.6-1-0.2
North America Select to view graph of the geographic area: North America 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2016-0.1-0.50.2
 

References