The Killdeer is a widespread and very conspicuous species. Because it nests in open areas and vocalizes regularly during the breeding season, it is one of the few shorebirds that is well captured by the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), which covers a large portion of the species' breeding population in Canada. BBS results have good precision and indicate that the Canadian population has suffered a decrease of approximately 73% of the population since 1970. The decrease has not abated; significant decreases occurred between 2006 and 2016. This nationwide trend is reflected in every Bird Conservation Region in Canada for which reasonably reliable results are available (displayed below). To the south, the species' may be faring slightly better, as suggested by BBS results for North America. The continental Killdeer population, which includes both Canadian and American breeders, experienced a smaller rate of decrease (~36%) than in Canada, and appears to have stablized during the most recent period (2006–2016). The Killdeer is currently below the lowest acceptable level relative to its national population goal (see Canada graph below).
Additional information on: Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis
Additional information on: British Columbia Coastal Waterbird Survey
