The best source of information on the population status of Ruddy Turnstone is migration monitoring by the Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM). Although precision of PRISM migration monitoring trend estimates is high, the survey may only sample a low proportion of the population, limiting reliability. However, data indicate a large, gradual, long-term decrease in abundance, amounting to a loss of 76% since the early 1980s. The Christmas Bird Count samples only the northernmost part of the wintering range and indicates little change since 1970, but may reflect a northward shift of the wintering range into the area sampled by the CBC. Future assessments of status will be improved when results from the Arctic Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (Arctic PRISM) become available, which focuses on the breeding population.

The goal for Ruddy Turnstone is to increase the population to the level it was at in the early 1980s, based on migration monitoring by the Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring. Trend data show that Ruddy Turnstone is currently below its goal range and continuing to decline. The trend will need to stabilize before the population can begin to rebound, and it is not realistic for the goal to be met by 2050. Based on analysis of the historical population loss and potential growth rates, the interim target is to reach 40% of the goal by that year. Achieving this target, and ultimately reaching the national goal for this species, will require deliberate conservation action.