BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Upland Sandpiper

ScolopacidaeGrassland birdsBartramia longicauda

Upland Sandpiper has edged up: up 22% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+22%Since 1968TrendPercent 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 →
856RoutesSurvey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
58Years 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 Upland Sandpiper

The Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) is a North American member of the Sandpipers & Allies (Scolopacidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the grassland birds.

Size
5–26 in long (13–66 cm) — a probing shorebird (typical for the family)
Habitat
Open grasslands, prairie, pasture and hayfields.
Diet
Seeds and insects gathered from grasses and the ground.
Range
Recorded on 856 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 30 states, most concentrated in the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie.
Family
Scolopacidae · Grassland birds

Notable Upland Sandpiper 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 Upland Sandpiper. See the full index history below.

Upland Sandpiper Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Upland Sandpiper is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.74 (95% range 0.52–0.97). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±14.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+8%Change by 2029TrendPercent 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 →
0.74Projected 2029 indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →
0.52–0.9795% range95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
±14.3%Backtest errorBacktest errorTypical error when we hold out the most recent years, forecast them, and compare to what actually happened. Lower means a more trustworthy projection.Full methodology →
If the recent trend holds, Upland Sandpiper is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.74 (95% range 0.52–0.97). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±14.3%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.19662029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →95% low95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →95% high95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
20250.740.510.97
20260.740.510.97
20270.740.510.97
20280.740.520.97
20290.740.520.97

Where the Upland Sandpiper Is Detected

BBS routes recording Upland Sandpiper, sized by most recent count.

Upland Sandpiper Population Trend by State

Upland Sandpiper 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-81%198413
Colorado-94%197216
Illinois-47%196851
Indiana-65%196918
Iowa+246%196938
Kansas-6%196965
Maine-96%19699
Marylandinsufficient datan/a8
Massachusettsinsufficient datan/a2
Michigan-64%196856
Minnesota+507%196952
Missouri-88%196935
Montana+937%197063
Nebraska+94%196971
New Hampshireinsufficient datan/a1
New Jerseyinsufficient datan/a2
New York-96%196843
North Dakota+143%196950
Ohio-97%196824
Oklahoma+157%196937
Oregoninsufficient datan/a1
Pennsylvania-95%196817
Rhode Islandinsufficient datan/a1
South Dakota+40%196955
Texas+99%197616
Vermontinsufficient datan/a5
Virginiainsufficient datan/a1
West Virginiainsufficient datan/a3
Wisconsin-96%196864
Wyoming+331%198039

Upland Sandpiper Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Upland Sandpiper 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 4-88%198411
Northern Rockies-81%197415
Prairie Potholes+20%1969119
Boreal Hardwood Transition-72%196859
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain-93%196844
Atlantic Northern Forest-74%196816
Badlands and Prairies+35%1969113
Shortgrass Prairie-69%196949
Central Mixed Grass Prairie+204%196998
Oaks and Prairies-71%197013
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie-50%1968168
Prairie Hardwood Transition-96%196891
Central Hardwoods-28%19739
Appalachian Mountains-96%196830
Piedmont-79%19687
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast-55%19744

Upland Sandpiper Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it up about 22% since 1968. Grassland birds are North America's steepest-declining group, down roughly 50% since 1970 as prairie and pasture were lost.

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