Population status

Black-necked Stilt
(Himantopus mexicanus)

The Black-necked Stilt breeds primarily in the United States and regions farther south. However, the species' breeding range has expanded northward in recent decades, with the first confirmed nest in Canada found near Edmonton, at Beaverhill Lake, in 1977 (Dekker et al. 1979). Breeding has since been confirmed in British Columbia (Tomlinson 2005, Burger 2015), Saskatchewan (Smith 1996, Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas 2018), Ontario (Peck et al. 2004), and recently in Manitoba (De Smet 2018; see also review in Gratto-Trevor 2002). This range expansion appears to be a colonisation of new areas, rather than a return to a former range, and therefore represents a large increase in the population in Canada since 1970. Because the species is still considered rare in Canada, the Breeding Bird Survey results for Canada have low precision; these results do, however, show a remarkable increase in the population since 1970. BBS results at the continental scale, which are moderately precise, also indicate a large increase (~178%) in the American population relative to about 1970. The Black-necked Stilt is at an acceptable level relative to its national population goal (see graph for North America below).

 

Population goal and acceptable levels of variation

Species/groupGoalLower levelUpper level
Black-necked StiltMean abundance (2008-2012)10th percentile of observed abundance (1970-2012)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 analysis1970-201619.411.229.3
North America Select to view graph of the geographic area: North America 1970-2016; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-20162.20.34.4
 

References