Despite
having one of the largest breeding ranges of any North American sandpiper, the
current continental population of the Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) is estimated to be only 25,000 individuals (Morrison
et al. 2001). The estimated population size of the Alaska-breeding race, T.
s. cinnamomea, is only 4,000 individuals (Brown
et al. 2001). If accurate, this population estimate indicates that the Alaskan-breeding
race of the Solitary Sandpiper is among the most rare shorebirds in North America.
The quality of these estimates, however, is thought to be quite poor. Breeding
Bird Survey (BBS) data from Alaska since 1980 reveal a population decline of 4.1%/year
(P = 0.02, N = 20 routes), suggesting that the Alaskan population
today is only a third as large as it was a quarter century ago. Although not statistically
significant, a comparable rate of decline has been estimated from Canadian BBS
data since 1966 (Sauer et al. 2003).
The small estimated population size and significant negative trend combine to
generate a conservation ranking of "highly imperiled" for cinnamomea.
