Both the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and Christmas Bird Count (CBC) provide insights into the status of White-crowned Sparrow in Canada. The BBS is more standardized than the CBC, but samples a smaller proportion of the population and is less precise. Although both are considered to have medium reliability, the CBC likely reflects the overall trend more accurately because it provides a more representative sample of the population. The continental CBC trend shows a gradual decline since the early 1970s, but at -23% over that period remains just within the bounds of little change. In contrast, the national BBS trend shows relative stability through most of the 1970s and 1980s, but then a steeper decline, amounting to a large decrease of 70% relative to 1970. However, because so much of the breeding population is north of the area covered by the BBS, the CBC trend is likely to be more representative for White-crowned Sparrow.

The goal for White-crowned Sparrow is to maintain its population at or above the level it was at in the early 1970s, based on the Christmas Bird Count. Recent data show that the population is within its goal range.