Population status

Least Sandpiper
(Calidris minutilla)

The Least Sandpiper is commonly recorded during fall migration monitoring surveys in Canada and the United States. Results from these surveys suggest that the population has exhibited little overall change in abundance relative to about 1970. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) monitors only the most northerly wintering fraction of the population, and may be biased towards males, which winter farther north (Nebel and Cooper 2008). The CBC may also be tracking a northward shift in wintering distribution due to climate change, rather than true population change. Nevertheless, CBC results suggest that the continental population has increased slightly since the late 1960s (most of which occurred after the mid-1990s), though the magnitude of the increase is such that it is categorized as little overall change. The population status of Least Sandpipers is therefore best assessed as showing little overall change in Canada. However, because of the lack of coverage over much of the species' range and our inability to determine the proportion of Canadian vs American birds monitored by these continental surveys, this assessment is considered to be of low reliability. Future assessments of status may be improved when results from the Arctic Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (Arctic PRISM) become available, though the majority of the species' range lies south of the arctic. The Least Sandpiper is currently at an acceptable level relative to its national population goal (see graph below).

 

Population goal and acceptable levels of variation

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

Analyses of Shorebird Migration Monitoring Data

Additional information on: Analyses of Shorebird Migration Monitoring Data

Table 1: Population trends by geographic area
Geographic areaTime PeriodAnnual Trend Table 1 - footnote 1 Limits
LowerUpper
North America Select to view graph of the geographic area: North America 1974-2016; Analyses of Shorebird Migration Monitoring Data1974-2016-0.2-32.7
 

Picture of logo Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Additional information on: Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Table 2: Population trends by geographic area
Geographic areaTime PeriodAnnual Trend Table 2 - footnote 1 Limits
LowerUpper
North America Select to view graph of the geographic area: North America 1970-2016; Christmas Bird Count (CBC)1970-20160.5-0.91.57
 

References