NatureCounts - The State of Canada's Birds

Western Sandpiper

Calidris mauri

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Summary Population Trends Population Goals

Distribution More species Methods Acknowledgements

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The State of Canada's Birds is presented in partnership by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada.

Although hard to tell apart from Semipalmated Sandpipers in winter, the Western Sandpiper grows rusty highlights during the breeding season, setting it apart. Males spend the winter further north than females, perhaps allowing them to arrive to the breeding grounds and claim a territory earlier in the spring.

Summary

National

Trend

Little Change

Confidence: Low

Goal

Within Goal Range

Although the Western Sandpiper does not breed in Canada, nearly the entire population of 3.5 million individuals passes through stopover sites in coastal British Columbia during spring and fall migration, while moving between nesting areas in western Alaska and southern Siberia, and overwintering areas along the coasts of the United States to northern South America. This represents a very high level of responsibility for Canada. The population has shown little change relative to 1970 based on the Christmas Bird Count. Confidence in this assessment is low because there is relatively limited coverage of its distribution. The national population of Western Sandpiper is within its goal range.

Migration Strategy

Short-distance

Long-distance

Canadian Responsibility

Very High

Population Estimates

Breeding 0

Annual 3,500,000

Global 3,500,000

Population Trends

The best source of information on the population status of Western Sandpiper is the continental Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Although it has intermediate precision in its trends, it likely covers only a low proportion of the wintering range, and therefore is limited to low reliability overall. CBC data show moderate fluctuation around a relatively stable level since the early 1970s. However, regional CBC analyses show moderate to large decreases in most of the North American wintering range, suggesting that the long-term trend is more likely to be negative than positive.

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Population Goals

The goal for Western Sandpiper is to remain at or above its average population level from 1970 to 2022, based on the Christmas Bird Count. Recent data show that the population is within its goal range.

National

Canada

Population Goal

Be at or above long-term average

Population status relative to goal

Within Goal Range

Goal is based on Christmas Bird Count

Designations