The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) provides the best information on the status of Red-winged Blackbird in Canada, as it is well-suited to documenting the species, samples most of the breeding range, and has trends with high levels of precision. The long-term trend shows little change relative to 1970, although there has been variability within this time. The population showed an increase from the early to late 1970s, then steadily declined to roughly two-thirds of 1970s levels by the early 2000s, but subsequently rebounded almost completely by 2022. However, trends vary considerably by region, with only the Prairie provinces largely mirroring the national trends. In interior British Columbia, population levels peaked in the mid-late 1990s and have since declined to slightly below 1970s levels, while along the Pacific coast there has been a steady decline since the 1970s. From Ontario to the Atlantic Coast, there have been moderate to large long-term declines, with ongoing declines since a peak in the late 1970s; in southern Ontario and Quebec the decline has accelerated notably over the past decade.

The goal for Red-winged Blackbird is to maintain its population at or above the level it was at in the early 1970s, based on the Breeding Bird Survey. Recent data show that the population is within its goal range.