Featured Species
Federally Listed, Proposed, and Candidate Species in New York State
As the principal federal partner responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act (ESA), we take the lead in recovering and conserving our Nation's imperiled species by fostering partnerships, employing scientific excellence, and developing a workforce of conservation leaders.
As we work in partnership with others, our two major goals are to:
- Protect endangered and threatened species, and then pursue their recovery; and
- Conserve candidate species and species-at-risk so that listing under the ESA is not necessary.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species responsibilities include the following:
- Listing, reclassifying, and delisting under the ESA
- Providing information and biological opinions (through the Project Reviews process) to federal agencies on their activities that may affect listed species
- Enforcing species protection under the Act
- Overseeing recovery activities for listed species
- Providing for the protection of important habitat
- Providing assistance to states and others to assist with their endangered species conservation efforts
For definitions and details on the meaning behind species listing statuses, follow the links below:
Quicklinks (external):
Atlantic sturgeon:
NYSDEC Atlantic sturgeon information
Bald eagle:
NYSDEC management
Bog turtle:
NEPARC Disinfection of Field Equipment to Minimize Risk of Spread of Chytridiomycosis and Ranavirus
NYDEC Fact Sheet
Natural Resource Conservation Service's soil maps
U.S. EPA Wetlands
State of Connecticut Bog Turtle Fact Sheet
State of New Jersey Bog Turtle Fact Sheet
Dwarf wedgemussel:
NYSDEC information
Eastern massassauga:
NYSDEC Website
Northeastern bulrush:
Rediscovered in New York 2010
Shortnose sturgeon:
NOAA Shortnose sturgeon information
Plants
American hart's-tongue fern (Asplenium scolpendrium var. americanum) – Threatened
Houghton's goldenrod (Solidago houghtonii) – Threatened
Leedy's roseroot (Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi (=Sedum integrifolium ssp. I.)) – Threatened
Northeastern bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus) – Endangered
Northern wild monkshood (Aconitum noveboracense) – Threatened
Sandplain gerardia (Agalinis acuta) – Endangered
- For more information visit the Long Island Ecological Services Office
Seabeach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus) – Threatened
- For more information visit the Long Island Ecological Services Office or the New Jersey Ecological Services Office
Small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides) – Threatened
Historical Plants
Eastern prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea) - Threatened (historical)
Swamp Pink (Helonias bullata) - Threatened (historical)
Insects
Bog buck moth (Hemileuca maia menyanthevora) - Endangered
- Occurs in Oswego County, NY (and Ontario, Canada)
Frosted elfin (Callophrys irus) - Not listed, Bin 4 species
Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) – Endangered
Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) – Candidate
- 12/15/2020 Monarch butterfly becomes candidate for listing under ESA
Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis) - Endangered (historical)
- Note: We are unaware of any current locations of this species in NY and there are no requirements to survey or consider this species during project reviews at this time. If you are interested in conducting surveys for this species or interested in pollinator conservation in general, please contact our office.
Mollusks
Chittenango Ovate Amber Snail (Novisuccinea chittenangoensis) – Threatened
Clubshell (Pleurobema clava) – Endangered
Dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon) – Endangered
Longsolid (Fusconaia subrotunda): Threatened (Occurs in Allegheny River drainage in western NY)
Rayed bean (Villosa fabalis) – Endangered
Northern Riffleshell (Epioblasma torulosa rangiana) – Endangered
Round hickorynut (Obovaria subrotunda) - Threatened (Historical in NY)
Birds
Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) – Delisted
Black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) – Threatened
- Federal Register Final 404d Rule
- For more information visit the Long Island Ecological Services Office
Piping plover (Charadrius melodus) Great Lakes Breeding Population – Endangered
- Great Lakes Piping Plover
- Lake Ontario Piping Plover
- For information on the Atlantic Coast breeding population, visit the Long Island Ecological Services Office
Red knot (Calidris canutus) – Threatened
- For more information visit the Long Island Ecological Services Office
Roseate tern (Sterna dougallii dougallii) – Endangered
- 5-year review initiated
- For more information visit the Long Island Ecological Services Office
Reptiles
Bog Turtle (Clemmys [=Glyptemys] muhlenbergii) – Threatened
Eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) – Threatened
Mammals
Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) – Endangered
New England cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus transitionalis) – Listing not warranted: 9/15/2015
Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) – Endangered
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reclassifies northern long-eared bat as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act
- Winter hibernacula locations (1-mile buffer for initial screening)
- Towns with maternity roosts
Fish
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) – Endangered
Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) – Endangered