BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Ruddy Turnstone

ScolopacidaeShorebirdsArenaria interpres

Ruddy Turnstone has fallen sharply: down 60% on the route-weighted index since 1995.

-60%Since 1995TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
7RoutesSurvey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
14Years SurveyedYears surveyedNumber of years with at least one standard-protocol run in this geography. A longer record makes the trend more reliable.Full methodology →

About the Ruddy Turnstone

The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a North American member of the Sandpipers & Allies (Scolopacidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the shorebirds.

Size
5–26 in long (13–66 cm) — a probing shorebird (typical for the family)
Habitat
Shorelines, mudflats, beaches, flooded fields and wet meadows.
Diet
Invertebrates probed or picked from mud, sand and shallow water.
Range
Recorded on 7 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the BCR 2.
Family
Scolopacidae · Shorebirds

Notable Ruddy Turnstone TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

No notable trend signals for Ruddy Turnstone. See the full index history below.

Where the Ruddy Turnstone Is Detected

BBS routes recording Ruddy Turnstone, sized by most recent count.

Ruddy Turnstone Population Trend by State

Ruddy Turnstone population trend by state.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Alaska-58%19957

Ruddy Turnstone Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Ruddy Turnstone population trend by Bird Conservation Region.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
BCR 2-48%19956

Ruddy Turnstone Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it down about 60% since 1995. Many shorebirds have declined steeply, reflecting pressure on the coastal and wetland stopovers they depend on.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.