At-Risk Birds - Lists and Chart


Proportion of U.S. Birds in Each Conservation Ranking Category*


Species at Risk Pie Chart


The lists below show some highlights from ABC's new species and subspecies conservation analysis. We hope that these will be thought-provoking, and will lead to more conservation action for the featured birds.


Most At-Risk Birds


50 U.S. States

These are the most At-Risk birds not currently listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), including candidates (all are in the "At-Risk" () category, with scores between 17 and 20).

Gunnison Sage-Grouse
Sitka Sooty Grouse (ssp)
Lesser Prairie-Chicken
Black-capped Petrel
Pink-footed Shearwater
Ashy Storm-Petrel
Hawaiian Storm-Petrel
Reddish Egret
Yellow Rail
Black Rail (both ssp)
Gulf Snowy Plover (ssp)
Alaskan Marbled Godwit (ssp)
Eastern Red Knot (ssp)
Kittlitz’s Murrelet
Guadalupe Murrelet
Scripps's Murrelet
Craveri’s Murrelet
Red-crowned Parrot
S. CA Olive-sided Flycatcher (ssp)
S. FL & Is. Loggerhead Shrikes (ssp)
S. CA Pinyon Jay (ssp)
Kauai 'Elepaio
Hawaii 'Elepaio
Eastern Bewick’s Wren (ssp)
Bicknell’s Thrush
SF Bay Common Yellowthroat (ssp)
Mangrove Prairie Warbler (ssp)
Arizona Grasshopper Sparrow (ssp)
Eastern Painted Bunting (ssp)
Maui 'Alauahio (Maui Creeper)



U.S. Territories

These are the most At-Risk birds in the U.S. Territories. Those marked* are currently neither listed nor candidates for listing under the ESA (all are in the "At-Risk" () category, with scores between 17 and 20).

Puerto Rico (PR)
PR Broad-winged Hawk (ssp)
PR Plain Pigeon (ssp)
PR Common Ground-Dove* (ssp)
Puerto Rican Parrot
Puerto Rican Nightjar
Caribbean Black Swift (ssp)*
Puerto Rican Tody*
White-necked Crow
Elfin-woods Warbler*
PR Grasshopper Sparrow* (ssp)
Yellow-shouldered Blackbird
Puerto Rican Oriole*


Guam and Northern Marianas (NMA)
NMA Micronesian Scrubfowl (ssp)
Guam Rail
Guam Common Moorhen (ssp)
Mariana Swiftlet
Guam Micronesian Kingfisher (ssp)
Mariana Crow
Tinian Monarch*
Nightingale Reed Warbler
Rota Bridled White-Eye
Golden White-Eye*
Guam Micronesian Starling* (ssp)


American Samoa
Friendly Ground-Dove



Fastest Declining Migrants

These are the migrant species with the fastest rates of declines. Note that population trend is only one factor in assessing risk, so species with large ranges and populations (such as the Palm Warbler) can currently be regarded as Secure (), even though they are declining. This list addresses full species only.


American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Horned Grebe
King Rail
Lesser Yellowlegs
Franklin’s Gull
Black-billed Cuckoo
Black Swift
Rufous Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbird
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Horned Lark
Bank Swallow
Varied Thrush
Chestnut-collared Longspur
McCown’s Longspur
 Golden-winged Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Palm Warbler
Wilson’s Warbler
Lark Bunting
Grasshopper Sparrow
Baird’s Sparrow
Rusty Blackbird



*Conservation Ranking Categories


Secure (4-8): Species/subspecies as a whole appears to have no immediate major conservation issues and can be regarded as safe at the present time. While some of these might be showing declines or likely declines/uncertain population trends (trend scores of 3 or higher), these are offset by their large ranges and populations. If these declines were to continue, some of these may later be upgraded to Potential Concern.


Potential Concern (9-12): While these species/subspecies can also be regarded as currently safe, they typically have smaller populations or ranges, or slightly higher threats or more negative population trends than Secure taxa, and need somewhat closer monitoring, especially those with a total score of 11 or 12. Local conservation actions may also be appropriate for some of these species, especially those that congregate in large numbers at key sites.


Vulnerable (13-16): These are species/subspecies that deserve conservation attention. They typically have limited ranges, smaller populations, higher threats or significantly higher declines (or a combination of these) and they should be considered in conservation planning and action for regions and habitats where they occur. These actions can often be delivered at a habitat/landscape scale to benefit multiple vulnerable taxa rather than through individual species/subspecies programs.


At-Risk (17-20): These are birds that need more urgent conservation attention and many of the highest risk taxa should be considered for ESA listing if they are not already listed. Those at the top end of this rank are most in danger of extinction, and those at the lower end should receive specific conservation attention to ensure they do not go in that direction.  


The terms Potential Concern, Vulnerable, and At-Risk do not suggest necessarily that there is concern that a species may be threatened with extinction. Lower scoring species may instead face population declines or range contractions that could negatively impact their conservation status, while some are more vulnerable to threats due to low abundance or small ranges but still have stable populations at present. Those species in the very highest scoring categories (the highest scoring At-Risk species) are those currently considered at risk of global extinction.


While some taxa are currently regarded as Secure, we should still address threats that may reduce their populations, as some of these may later need to be upgraded to higher concern categories. Also, human-induced threats (e.g. collisions) typically affect birds in all threat categories.