Mammals |
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| Black-footed Ferret | Mustela nigripes | Extirpated |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation Not observed in Canada since 1937. Considered extirpated following its assessment in 1974. |
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| Range AB SK | ||
| Status History Extirpated by 1974. Designated Extirpated in April 1978. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000 and in April 2009. |
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| Bowhead Whale | Balaena mysticetus | Special Concern |
| Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation The population was severely depleted by commercial whaling from 1848 until about 1915, a period of about 65-70 years. Since 1915, it has been subject to regular hunting for subsistence by Aboriginal people in Alaska (USA) and Chukotka (Russia) and occasional hunting by the Inuvialuit of the western Canadian Arctic. In the absence of commercial whaling, this population has been recovering and was estimated at 10,400 in 2001. Nevertheless, it is not yet clearly secure because of its life history (e.g. long generation time, very low natural growth rate) and the possible impacts of habitat changes. There is uncertainty about how bowheads will respond to the rapid changes in their habitat due to climate change and increasing human activities such as shipping and oil exploration in high latitudes. Such habitat changes have already begun to occur and will intensify over the next 100 years. In view of the species’ life history, it is important that hunting continue to be monitored and managed to ensure against over-harvest. |
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| Range Arctic Ocean | ||
| Status History The "Eastern and Western Arctic populations" were given a single designation of Endangered in April 1980. Split into two populations (Eastern Arctic and Western Arctic) to allow separate designations in April 1986. The Western Arctic population was designated Endangered in April 1986. The population was renamed to "Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort population" and designated Special Concern in May 2005. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 2009. |
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| Bowhead Whale | Balaena mysticetus | Special Concern |
| Eastern Canada-West Greenland population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation The population was severely depleted by commercial whaling, starting in the 1500s and continuing until about 1910. Since the early 1900s, it has been subject only to sporadic hunting by Inuit in Canada and Greenland. In the absence of commercial whaling, the population is believed to have been increasing for decades and is likely still increasing. This increase is supported by evidence from both Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK) and science. Current total abundance is estimated at around 6000. In spite of the increase, the population is not yet clearly secure because of its life history (e.g. long generation time, very low natural growth rate). Additionally, there is uncertainty about how bowheads will respond to the rapid changes in their habitat due to climate change and increasing human activities such as shipping and oil exploration in high latitudes. Such habitat changes have already begun to occur and will intensify over the next 100 years. In view of the species’ life history, it is important that hunting continue to be monitored and managed to ensure against over-harvest. |
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| Range Arctic Ocean | ||
| Status History The "Eastern and Western Arctic populations" were given a single designation of Endangered in April 1980. Split into two populations (Eastern Arctic and Western Arctic) to allow separate designations in April 1986. The Eastern Arctic population was not re-evaluated in April 1986, but retained the Endangered status of the original "Eastern and Western Arctic populations". The Eastern Arctic population was further split into two populations (Hudson Bay-Foxe Basin population and Davis Strait-Baffin Bay population) in May 2005, and each was designated Threatened. In April 2009, the Hudson Bay-Foxe Basin population and the Davis Strait-Baffin Bay population were considered a single unit and this Eastern Canada-West Greenland population was designated Special Concern. |
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Birds |
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| Horned Grebe | Podiceps auritus | Endangered |
| Magdalen Islands population | ||
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(ii,v)+2ab(ii,v); C2a(i,ii); D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation The small breeding population of this species has persisted on the Magdalen Islands for at least a century. It has recently shown declines in both population size and area of occupancy. The small size of the population (average of 15 adults) makes it particularly vulnerable to stochastic events. |
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| Range QC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 2009. |
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| Roseate Tern | Sterna dougallii | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation In Canada, this colonial species is part of the northeastern population that breeds on small islands off the Atlantic coast from the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence south to Long Island, New York. It winters in South America, from Colombia to eastern Brazil. The most recent (2007) population estimate for Canada was 200 mature individuals occupying 7 locations (approximately 93% are in only 2 locations). The number of mature birds has been fairly stable over the past decade despite recovery efforts. Rescue through immigration of birds from the United States is unlikely since the species is endangered in New England and the population there is also small (circa 7600 mature individuals in 2007). The primary factors limiting the population are predation of eggs, young and adults, low adult survival rates, and stochastic events (e.g. hurricanes). |
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| Range QC NB NS | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 1986. Status re-examined and designated Endangered in April 1999. Endangered status re-examined and confirmed in October 1999 and in April 2009. |
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| Least Bittern | Ixobrychus exilis | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria A2b; C1 | ||
| Reason for Designation This diminutive member of the heron family has a preference for nesting near pools of open water in relatively large marshes that are dominated by cattail and other robust emergent plants. Its breeding range extends from southeastern Canada through much of the eastern U.S. Information on the population size and exact distribution of this secretive species is somewhat limited. Nevertheless, the best available evidence indicates that the population is small (about 3000 individuals) and declining (> 30% in the last 10 years), largely owing to the loss and degradation of high-quality marsh habitats across its range. |
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| Range MB ON QC NB NS | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in April 1988. Status re-examined and confirmed in April 1999. Status re-examined and designated Threatened in November 2001 and in April 2009. |
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| Whip-poor-will | Caprimulgus vociferus | Threatened |
| Assessment Criteria A2bc | ||
| Reason for Designation In Canada, this well-known, nocturnal bird has experienced both long-term and short-term population declines. Indices of abundance indicate that populations have been reduced by more than 30% over the last 10 years (i.e. 3 generations). Like other aerial foraging insectivores, habitat loss and degradation as well as changes to the insect prey base may have affected Canadian populations. |
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| Range SK MB ON QC NB NS | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 2009. |
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| Horned Grebe | Podiceps auritus | Special Concern |
| Western population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation Approximately 92% of the North American breeding range of this species is in Canada and is occupied by this population. It has experienced both long-term and short-term declines and there is no evidence to suggest that this trend will be reversed in the near future. Threats include degradation of wetland breeding habitat, droughts, increasing populations of nest predators (mostly in the Prairies), and oil spills on their wintering grounds in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. |
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| Range YT NT NU BC AB SK MB ON | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in April 2009. |
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Amphibians |
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| Northern Leopard Frog | Lithobates pipiens | Endangered |
| Rocky Mountain population | ||
| Assessment Criteria C2a(i); D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation Although previously found in many localities in southeastern British Columbia and the Okanagan, this frog has suffered severe declines in both distribution and abundance, and now exists in extremely small numbers at only a single native population in the Creston valley. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 1998. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000 and in April 2009. |
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| Northern Leopard Frog | Lithobates pipiens | Special Concern |
| Western Boreal/Prairie populations | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This species remains widespread but has experienced a considerable contraction of range and the loss of populations in the past, particularly in the west. This has been accompanied by increased isolation of remaining populations, which fluctuate widely in size, with some showing signs of recovery. The species is adversely affected by habitat conversion, including wetland drainage and eutrophication, game fish introduction, collecting, pesticide contamination and habitat fragmentation that curtails recolonization and rescue of declining populations. The species is also susceptible to emerging diseases. |
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| Range NT AB SK MB | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in April 1998. Status re-examined and confirmed in November 2002 and in April 2009. |
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| Northern Leopard Frog | Lithobates pipiens | Not at Risk |
| Eastern populations | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation Although this species has shown evidence of declines, it remains widespread and common in eastern Canada. |
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| Range MB ON QC NB PE NS NL | ||
| Status History Designated Not at Risk in April 1999 and in April 2009. |
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Fishes |
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| Spring Cisco | Coregonus sp. | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria A2bce; B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) | ||
| Reason for Designation This species, known from only one small lake in southwestern Quebec, has undergone a drastic decline in abundance over the past 15 years (3 generations). The decline may be related to a combination of factors including habitat degradation and loss resulting from urban and agricultural development, the introduction of non-native species (e.g. Rainbow Smelt and Atlantic Salmon), and climate change. |
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| Range QC | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in April 1992. Status re-examined and designated Endangered in April 2009. |
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| American Plaice | Hippoglossoides platessoides | Threatened |
| Newfoundland and Labrador population | ||
| Assessment Criteria Met criteria for Endangered, A2b, but designated Threatened, A2b, because the distribution has remained stable, and the present level of abundance appears to be such that it is unlikely that there is a 20% chance of extinction within 5 generations (80 yrs). | ||
| Reason for Designation This right-eye flounder burrows in sediment to escape predators and ambush prey. It is widely distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, from the Barents Sea to the British Isles in the east, and from northern Baffin Island to Rhode Island in the west. This population occurs from Hudson Strait to the southern limit of the Grand Bank, and westward north of the Laurentian Channel to the southwestern corner of Newfoundland. A relatively sedentary, non-schooling species, it was likely once the most abundant flatfish in the northwest Atlantic, and the fishery for it in Newfoundland waters was once the largest flatfish fishery in the world. Over a 47 year time series, (about 3 generations) abundance has declined approximately 96%. Overfishing is a major cause of the decline, but an apparent increase in natural mortality in the 1990s, when the largest part of the decline occurred, may also have contributed. The decline now appears to have ceased, but numbers remain below a precautionary threshold estimated for this stock. The directed fishery is under moratorium but some significant and poorly regulated bycatches are negatively influencing recovery. In addition, fishing gear is size selective, cropping large individuals, and reducing population reproductive potential. There is evidence that natural mortality has increased which reduces the ability of the population to withstand fishing mortality. |
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| Range Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 2009. |
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| American Plaice | Hippoglossoides platessoides | Threatened |
| Maritime population | ||
| Assessment Criteria Met criteria for Endangered, A2b, but designated Threatened, A2b, because of large, stable area of occurrence and large remaining number of adults. | ||
| Reason for Designation This right-eye flounder burrows in the sediment to escape predators and ambush prey. It is widely distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, from the Barents Sea to the British Isles in the east, and from northern Baffin Island to Rhode Island in the west. This population occurs in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Scotian Shelf, the Bay of Fundy and Georges Bank. A relatively sedentary, non-schooling species, it was likely once the most abundant flatfish in the northwest Atlantic. Over a 36 year time series, (about 2.25 generations) abundance of mature individuals has declined about 86% in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and 67% on the Scotian Shelf. Overfishing is a major cause of the decline, but an apparent increase in natural mortality in the 1990s, when the largest part of the decline occurred, may also have contributed. The decline appears to have ceased in the Gulf but may be continuing on the Scotian Shelf. There are small ongoing directed fisheries in the Gulf with a quota in the south but no quota management in the north. On the Scotian Shelf and in the Bay of Fundy, this species is managed together with other flatfishes as a multispecies stock and there are no specific management measures to ensure sustainability. |
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| Range Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 2009. |
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| Bigmouth Buffalo | Ictiobus cyprinellus | Special Concern |
| Saskatchewan - Nelson River populations | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation Although there has been an increase in the extent of occurrence (EO) and area of occupancy (AO) in Manitoba, the species is apparently not abundant there. Dramatic declines in the Qu’Appelle River basin appear to be related to changes in water management practices that have led to elimination and/or degradation of spawning habitat and subsequent reduction in reproductive potential. Increasing demands for water for agricultural purposes may also be limiting for other population components in this Biogeographic Zone. |
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| Range SK MB | ||
| Status History The species was considered a single unit and designated Special Concern in April 1989. Split into two populations in April 2008 to allow a separate designation of the Bigmouth Buffalo (Great Lakes - Upper St. Lawrence populations). The Bigmouth Buffalo (Saskatchewan – Nelson River populations) was not assessed in April 2008; it retained the Special Concern designation of the original Bigmouth Buffalo. The population was designated Special Concern in April 2009. |
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| American Plaice | Hippoglossoides platessoides | Data Deficient |
| Arctic population | ||
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation Information to establish any COSEWIC risk category with assurance is not available. Data on distribution, abundance and specific habitat, including any observed changes over time, are especially needed. |
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| Range Arctic Ocean | ||
| Status History Species considered in April 2009 and placed in the Data Deficient category. |
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Arthropods |
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| Edwards' Beach Moth | Anarta edwardsii | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) | ||
| Reason for Designation In Canada, this species of noctuid moth has only been found in sparsely-vegetated sandy beach and dune habitats on the coast of Vancouver Island and two small adjacent Gulf Islands. Together, these constitute only two locations. The habitats are at risk from succession, invasive species, recreational activities and changing patterns of sand deposition resulting from increasing frequency and intensity of winter storms. It is currently known from James and Sydney Islands and Pacific Rim National Park. The chance of genetic exchange is minimal between Pacific Rim and other areas and low between the Gulf Islands. One population has not been detected in recent times, and the species could not be found at 38 other locations where there appeared to be suitable habitat. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 2009. |
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| Maritime Ringlet | Coenonympha nipisiquit | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) | ||
| Reason for Designation Globally, this species of Satyr butterfly is confined to 10 salt marshes in the small region of Baie des Chaleurs and Gaspesie. Only three populations are large enough for long term survival to be probable. All populations are expected to experience habitat loss due to both sea level rise and increased storm frequency. The New Brunswick populations are also subject to threats associated with increased urban development and the collection of host plants. |
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| Range QC NB | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 1997. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000 and in April 2009. |
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Molluscs |
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| Northern Abalone | Haliotis kamtschatkana | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria A2bd | ||
| Reason for Designation Highly valued for its meat, this marine mollusc is patchily distributed along the west coast of Canada. Despite a total moratorium on harvest in 1990, the species was designated as Threatened in 2000. Poaching is the most serious threat and continues to reduce population abundance, particularly the larger, more fecund component; however, all size classes have declined significantly over the past three generations (i.e. since 1978) with mature individuals declining an estimated 88-89%. Low densities may further exacerbate the problem by reducing fertilization success in this broadcast spawner (the Allee effect). Although predators such as the recovering Sea Otter population are not responsible for recently observed declines, they may ultimately influence future abundance of abalone populations. |
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| Range Pacific Ocean | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 1999. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000. Status re-examined and designated Endangered in April 2009. |
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| Brook Floater | Alasmidonta varicosa | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation A medium-sized freshwater mussel that is confined to 15 widely scattered watersheds in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This mussel was never abundant, usually representing only 1-5% of the total freshwater mussel fauna present. The habitat is subject to impacts (shoreline development, poor agricultural practices, and other water quality issues) with potential cumulative degradation on larger stretches of rivers. Populations appear to have been lost from two historic locations, although new populations have been found recently. Because this mussel has disappeared from approximately half of its USA locations, the Canadian population now represents an important global stronghold for the species. |
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| Range NB NS | ||
| Status History Designated Special Concern in April 2009. |
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Vascular Plants |
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| Bent Spike-rush | Eleocharis geniculata | Endangered |
| Southern Mountain population | ||
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) | ||
| Reason for Designation Only a single population of this annual species of the sedge family is known from a seasonally flooded wetland complex within a sandy spit at Osoyoos Lake, BC. Approximately 10,000 small plants are restricted to an area of about 1200 square metres where they are at risk from stochastic events and the potential impacts from the spread of exotic grasses. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 2009. |
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| Bent Spike-rush | Eleocharis geniculata | Endangered |
| Great Lakes Plains population | ||
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab(ii,iii) | ||
| Reason for Designation Only two extant Ontario populations are known for this annual species of the sedge family. The total population consists of possibly fewer than 2500 plants. They occur mainly in sandy wet habitats along ponds and in damp open meadows over an area of only about 2000 square metres. The habitat is declining due to the spread of the invasive, introduced form of Common Reed, an aggressive exotic grass. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 2009. |
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| Deltoid Balsamroot | Balsamorhiza deltoidea | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria Met criteria for Threatened, A2ac; B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv,v), but designated Endangered, B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv,v), because 4 of the native populations may not be viable. | ||
| Reason for Designation A showy perennial comprising only eight natural populations containing about 1600 mature plants. The largest population has declined greatly due to site development in recent years and accounts for most of the 35-40% decline in the total Canadian population. All populations experience continued habitat degradation from competition with invasive introduced plants. Four of the eight populations are also at risk of extirpation from stochastic events due to the presence of only one to several plants in each. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated in April 1996 as Endangered. Status re-examined and confirmed Endangered in May 2000 and in April 2009. |
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| Drooping Trillium | Trillium flexipes | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) | ||
| Reason for Designation A showy perennial species currently present at only two small locations in southern Ontario. It has not been found at five additional sites where it was documented historically. This riparian species is at on-going risk of habitat degradation from the invasion of exotic plants. It is also at risk from recreational activities and the effects of stochastic events due to its small population size. |
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| Range ON | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 1996. Status re-assessed and confirmed in May 2000 and in April 2009. |
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| Prairie Lupine | Lupinus lepidus | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(ii,iii,iv,v)+2ab(ii,iii,iv,v); C2a(i); D1 | ||
| Reason for Designation A perennial species found at only 2 or possibly 3 remaining locations within southeastern Vancouver Island. Its small total population has been reduced in recent decades with < 250 mature individuals present in 2009. The spread of invasive plants continues to degrade habitat within and adjacent to extant sites that could serve to support the establishment and survival of the species. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 1996. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000 and in April 2009. |
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| Water-plantain Buttercup | Ranunculus alismifolius | Endangered |
| Assessment Criteria B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii); C2a(i) | ||
| Reason for Designation This species has been reduced to two small populations within the highly impacted Garry Oak Ecosystem of southwestern British Columbia. Impacts from human activities and spread of invasive plants within and around its vernal pool habitats continue to place the species at risk of extirpation. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Endangered in April 1996. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000 and in April 2009. |
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| White-top Aster | Sericocarpus rigidus | Special Concern |
| Assessment Criteria not applicable | ||
| Reason for Designation This perennial species reproduces primarily asexually and is present at 22 discrete sites that include 14 recently discovered populations. The latter were previously unrecorded, but likely always present, and include the largest populations. The total population comprises many thousands of stems with most of the plants found in parks and on federal lands. In spite of the species’ occurrence mainly in protected areas, it is at risk from increasing recreational activities and the spread of invasive exotic plants. |
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| Range BC | ||
| Status History Designated Threatened in April 1996. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000. Status re-examined and designated Special Concern in April 2009. |
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*The report on Silver Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) was withdrawn to allow inclusion of new information relevant to wildlife species eligibility, including the apparent non-distinction from Northern Brook Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor). The report on Columbia Dune Moth (Copablepharon absidum) was withdrawn to incorporate more information on search effort.