During southward migration, the species passes through the northeastern most parts of the Atlantic seaboard, being commonest on beaches and mudflats in Atlantic Canada (Morrison 1984, Harrington et al. 1991), where it is monitored by migration surveys. Northward migration is through more interior routes in North America (Parmelee 1992a). Trend estimates from these migration monitoring surveys suggest that the abundance of White-rumped Sandpipers has shown a moderate increase relative to about 1970. However, annual indices (see graph) show a widely fluctuating population with the level in most recent years appearing similar to that of the early 1970s. The population status is perhaps best assessed as having shown little change since the early 1970s. The species is capable of long-range flight and stages at a restricted network of sites for extended periods. This behaviour means that surveys at migration stopover sites could be biased (for example, if a larger proportion of individuals now stop at coastal sites that are better surveyed). This potential bias and poor precision of the trend estimate reduces confidence in the assessment. Future assessments of status will be improved when results from the Arctic Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (Arctic PRISM) become available. The White-rumped Sandpiper is currently at an acceptable level relative to its national population goal (see graph below).
Additional information on: Analyses of Shorebird Migration Monitoring Data
