The Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) is a large shorebird found across the North American grasslands. This species has undergone significant population declines over the past few decades due to habitat loss, leading to increased concern over its conservation status. In this article, we will examine whether the Upland Sandpiper should be considered endangered based on its current population trends, conservation threats, and protection under wildlife laws.
What is the Upland Sandpiper?
The Upland Sandpiper is a medium-to-large shorebird characterized by its long neck, small head, and long tail. Adults have cryptic brown, black, and white plumage with barring on the wings and breast. This coloration provides camouflage in their grassland habitats. They have long yellow legs and a sharp black bill adapted for probing in the soil.
Upland Sandpipers breed in the Prairie Pothole Region of central North America and parts of the Great Plains. They nest on the ground in open grasslands, pastures, hayfields, and wet meadows. The female lays four eggs in a simple scrape lined with grasses and leaves. After breeding, Upland Sandpipers migrate in flocks to wintering grounds in southern South America. Their annual migratory journey traverses over 6,000 miles between breeding and wintering areas.
Population Status and Trends
The Upland Sandpiper has experienced significant population declines since the late 1960s. The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) shows a survey-wide population decrease of 2.7% annually from 1966-2015. The population is estimated to have declined by 65% overall during this period.
Regions with the steepest declines include the Canadian prairies (-4.3% per year) and the eastern Dakotas (-3.9% per year). Stable or even increasing populations in parts of the Great Plains have not been enough to offset reductions across much of the species’ breeding range.
The total population size is currently estimated at 350,000 to 500,000 individuals. Population thresholds for concern established by Partners in Flight are below 1 million individuals for continental populations and below 50,000 individuals for regional populations. The Upland Sandpiper falls below the continental threshold, indicating its small population size is a conservation issue.
Breeding Bird Survey Population Trend 1966-2015
Region | Trend (birds/route) | Trend (% change per year) |
---|---|---|
Canada | -2.4 | -4.3% |
U.S. Great Plains | -0.7 | -1.3% |
U.S. East of the Great Plains | -7.5 | -7.7% |
U.S. West of the Great Plains | +0.2 | +1.0% |
Survey-wide | -1.8 | -2.7% |
Threats and Conservation Challenges
The decline of the Upland Sandpiper is driven primarily by habitat loss and degradation. The conversion of native prairie to agriculture is a major long-term cause of grassland destruction across the Great Plains. Humans have converted over 70% of tallgrass prairie and over 30% of mixed-grass prairie to cropland.
Remaining grasslands face threats from urban and exurban development, energy development, and fragmentation. Fragmentation increases rates of brood parasitism and nest predation. In their South American wintering grounds, Upland Sandpipers are further threatened by conversion of grasslands to soybean and other crop production.
Climate change poses an emerging threat to prairie wetland habitats Upland Sandpipers rely on for breeding. More frequent droughts and greater climate variability in the Great Plains could reduce nesting habitat suitability in the coming decades.
Estimates of Grassland Loss in the Great Plains
Region | Original Grassland Area | Current Grassland Area | Percentage Lost |
---|---|---|---|
Tallgrass Prairie | 362,500 km2 | 93,500 km2 | 74% |
Mixed-Grass Prairie | 1,004,000 km2 | 600,000 km2 | 40% |
Shortgrass Prairie | 881,500 km2 | 811,500 km2 | 8% |
Legal Protection
The Upland Sandpiper is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. This act makes it illegal to harm or harass the species without permission. The Upland Sandpiper is also protected internationally under agreements like the Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds in Canada and the United States.
At the state level, the Upland Sandpiper is listed as a species of greatest conservation need in 12 states across its breeding range. However, these designations lack strong regulatory protections compared to endangered species laws. No U.S. states currently list the Upland Sandpiper as endangered or threatened.
In Canada, the Upland Sandpiper is listed as threatened under the Species at Risk Act. This designation protects critical habitat and requires recovery planning. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has recommended uplisting the species to endangered status.
Efforts to Conserve the Species
Despite population declines, the Upland Sandpiper’s wide distribution and large global population have precluded endangered species listing at the federal level. Conservation initiatives led by government agencies and nonprofits aim to restore grassland habitats and reverse declines.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service administers programs that pay private landowners to conserve grasslands. Conservation Reserve Program grasslands provide over 2 million acres of breeding habitat for Upland Sandpipers. Nonprofits like the Nature Conservancy protect prairie remnants and model sustainable grazing practices that benefit grassland birds.
Researchers continue investigating how habitat management and predator control affect nest success. Future conservation will rely on private lands initiatives and reducing grassland conversion rates across the Great Plains to recover Upland Sandpiper populations.
Conclusion
In summary, the Upland Sandpiper has experienced substantial population declines and ongoing threats to its prairie habitats. However, its large population size and immense breeding range preclude endangered species status at present. Targeted conservation initiatives to protect grasslands can help stabilize and recover populations if implemented at large scales across the Great Plains. Preventing further habitat loss is key to the long-term outlook for this iconic shorebird. Careful monitoring and adaptive habitat management will be necessary to ensure the Upland Sandpiper remains a part of prairie ecosystems.