Ruddy Turnstones breeding in the central Canadian Arctic (subspecies: Arenaria interpres morinella) winter along both coasts of the southern United States south to southern South America, with high concentrations in north-central Brazil (Morrison and Ross 1989, Nettleship 2000). Results of the various surveys that monitor the species vary. Migration monitoring surveys suggest large decreases in abundance relative to about 1970. Results from the Christmas Bird Count suggest a moderate increase in the number wintering in the United States, at the northern extent of the species' range, but this may be due to northward shifts in distribution and not true changes in population. Other sources suggest that the subspecies breeding in High Arctic Canada (A. i. interpres), which may involve over half of the Canada/Greenland breeders, increased between the 1970s and 1990s, but has decreased considerably since then (Delaney et al. 2009). A large decrease overall in the abundance of Ruddy Turnstones in Canada relative to about 1970 is likely, but the reliability of this assessment is low owing to potential geographic variation in trends and conflicting results from the various surveys. Future assessments of status will be improved when results from the Arctic Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (Arctic PRISM) become available. The Ruddy Turnstone is currently below the lowest acceptable level relative to its national population goal (see graph below).
Additional information on: Analyses of Shorebird Migration Monitoring Data
Additional information on: Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
