BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Wilson's Snipe

ScolopacidaeShorebirdsGallinago delicata

Wilson's Snipe has surged: up 662% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+662%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 →
1,268RoutesSurvey 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 Wilson's Snipe

The Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) 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 1,268 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 27 states, most concentrated in the Northern Rockies.
Family
Scolopacidae · Shorebirds

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

long arc increasecomputed indexTrend sourceWhether the figure is our own computed route-weighted index or an official USGS modeled estimate. The current build labels every trend as computed.Full methodology →

Wilson's Snipe has surged in surveyed states: up 662% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Wilson's Snipe Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Wilson's Snipe is projected to rise about 33% by 2029 — from 0.89 in 2024 to a central estimate of 1.2 (95% range 0.80–1.6). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±35.4%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+33%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 →
1.2Projected 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 →
0.80–1.695% 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 →
±35.4%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, Wilson's Snipe is projected to rise about 33% by 2029 — from 0.89 in 2024 to a central estimate of 1.2 (95% range 0.80–1.6). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±35.4%, with 80% 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 →
20251.10.761.5
20261.20.771.5
20271.20.781.6
20281.20.791.6
20291.20.801.6

Where the Wilson's Snipe Is Detected

BBS routes recording Wilson's Snipe, sized by most recent count.

Wilson's Snipe Population Trend by State

Wilson's Snipe 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+102%1976116
Arizonainsufficient datan/a2
California+11%197249
Colorado+87%197099
Idaho-63%197054
Illinoisinsufficient datan/a3
Iowainsufficient datan/a4
Maine-84%196859
Massachusettsinsufficient datan/a4
Michigan-6%196862
Minnesota+160%196977
Montana+32%1970106
Nebraska15×197525
Nevada+3%197126
New Hampshire-55%196812
New Mexico-8%19886
New York+154%196870
North Dakota35×197145
Ohioinsufficient datan/a2
Oregon+0%197087
Pennsylvaniainsufficient datan/a7
South Dakota+321%197342
Utah+78%197952
Vermont+263%196824
Washington+119%197060
Wisconsin-62%196876
Wyoming+241%197199

Wilson's Snipe Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Wilson's Snipe 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 2-2%198524
BCR 3+164%19955
BCR 4+104%197667
Northern Pacific Rainforest+626%197261
Great Basin+39%1970163
Northern Rockies-24%1970190
Prairie Potholes34×1970100
Boreal Hardwood Transition+69%1968109
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain-1%196842
Atlantic Northern Forest-13%1968113
Sierra Nevada-76%197416
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau+167%1970128
Badlands and Prairies18×197192
Shortgrass Prairie+4%198224
Central Mixed Grass Prairie25×197512
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie-38%19759
Prairie Hardwood Transition-51%196881
Appalachian Mountains-39%196921
Coastal California+69%19749

Wilson's Snipe Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it up about 662% since 1968. 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.