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Share your observations of plants or non-game animals with the Natural Heritage Inventory
Help care for rare plants and animals by ordering an Endangered Resources plate.
- Contact information
- For information on Wisconsin's rare animals, contact:
- Rich Staffen
Conservation Biologist
608-266-4340
Wisconsin's rare birds
Birds on Wisconsin's Natural Heritage Working List – last revised May 2016. Life history, where they are found in the state, photos and management information is available for many of these species. Please consider sharing your observations [exit DNR] with the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory
Many bird avoidance dates have changed, we are in the process of making these consistent across all documents, but for the most recent dates please go to the bird calendar. The bird calendar contains required (Avoidance Period) and recommended (Conservation Period) dates for avoiding impacts to rare Wisconsin birds when planning management or development activities.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Global Rank |
State Rank |
Federal Status |
WI Status |
WWAP | Mapped in NHI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavia immer | Common Loon | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Podiceps grisegena | Red-necked Grebe | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Botaurus lentiginosus | American Bittern | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ixobrychus exilis | Least Bittern | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ardea alba | Great Egret | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Nycticorax nycticorax | Black-crowned Night-Heron | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Nyctanassa violacea | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | G5 | S1B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Anas rubripes | American Black Duck | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Anas acuta | Northern Pintail | G5 | S3N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Anas americana | American Wigeon | G5 | S3N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Bucephala clangula | Common Goldeneye | G5 | S2B,S5N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Circus hudsonius | Northern Harrier | G5 | S3B,S2N | m-SIN | N | ||
| Accipiter gentilis | Northern Goshawk | G5 | S2B,S2N | SOC | SC/M | SGCN | Y |
| Buteo lineatus | Red-shouldered Hawk | G5 | S3S4B,S1N | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Falco peregrinus | Peregrine Falcon | G4 | S1S2B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Falcipennis canadensis | Spruce Grouse | G5 | S1S2 | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Tympanuchus cupido | Greater Prairie-Chicken | G4 | S1 | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Tympanuchus phasianellus | Sharp-tailed Grouse | G5 | S1 | SC/H | SGCN | Y | |
| Colinus virginianus | Northern Bobwhite | G4G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Coturnicops noveboracensis | Yellow Rail | G4 | S1B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Rallus elegans | King Rail | G4 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Grus americana | Whooping Crane | G1 | SXB | NEP | SC/FL | SGCN | N |
| Charadrius melodus | Piping Plover | G3 | S1B | LE | END | SGCN | Y |
| Himantopus mexicanus | Black-necked Stilt | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Bartramia longicauda | Upland Sandpiper | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Calidris canutus rufa | Red Knot | G4T2 | S1N | LT | SC/FL | SGCN | N |
| Scolopax minor | American Woodcock | G5 | S3S4B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Phalaropus tricolor | Wilson's Phalarope | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Hydroprogne caspia | Caspian Tern | G5 | S1B,S2N | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Sterna hirundo | Common Tern | G5 | S1B,S2N | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Sterna forsteri | Forster's Tern | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Chlidonias niger | Black Tern | G4G5 | S2B | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Coccyzus americanus | Yellow-billed Cuckoo | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Asio otus | Long-eared Owl | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Asio flammeus | Short-eared Owl | G5 | S1B,S3N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Chordeiles minor | Common Nighthawk | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Antrostomus vociferus | Eastern Whip-poor-will | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Melanerpes erythrocephalus | Red-headed Woodpecker | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Picoides arcticus | Black-backed Woodpecker | G5 | S1S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Contopus cooperi | Olive-sided Flycatcher | G4 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Empidonax virescens | Acadian Flycatcher | G5 | S3B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Empidonax minimus | Least Flycatcher | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Progne subis | Purple Martin | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Perisoreus canadensis | Canada Jay | G5 | S2S3 | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Poecile hudsonicus | Boreal Chickadee | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Regulus calendula | Ruby-crowned Kinglet | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Catharus ustulatus | Swainson's Thrush | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Hylocichla mustelina | Wood Thrush | G4 | S4B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Toxostoma rufum | Brown Thrasher | G5 | S4B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Lanius ludovicianus | Loggerhead Shrike | G4 | S1B | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Vireo bellii | Bell's Vireo | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Vireo philadelphicus | Philadelphia Vireo | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Vermivora chrysoptera | Golden-winged Warbler | G4 | S3B | SOC | SC/M | SGCN | Y |
| Setophaga dominica | Yellow-throated Warbler | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga kirtlandii | Kirtland's Warbler | G3G4 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga palmarum | Palm Warbler | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Setophaga cerulea | Cerulean Warbler | G4 | S2S3B | SOC | THR | SGCN | Y |
| Protonotaria citrea | Prothonotary Warbler | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Helmitheros vermivorum | Worm-eating Warbler | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Parkesia motacilla | Louisiana Waterthrush | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Geothlypis formosa | Kentucky Warbler | G5 | S1S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Oporornis agilis | Connecticut Warbler | G4G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga citrina | Hooded Warbler | G5 | S2S3B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Cardellina pusilla | Wilson's Warbler | G5 | SUB,S4N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Cardellina canadensis | Canada Warbler | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Icteria virens | Yellow-breasted Chat | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Spiza americana | Dickcissel | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Spizella pusilla | Field Sparrow | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Pooecetes gramineus | Vesper Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Chondestes grammacus | Lark Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ammodramus savannarum | Grasshopper Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Centronyx henslowii | Henslow's Sparrow | G4 | S2S3B | SOC | THR | SGCN | Y |
| Ammospiza leconteii | LeConte's Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ammospiza nelsoni | Nelson's Sparrow | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Dolichonyx oryzivorus | Bobolink | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Sturnella magna | Eastern Meadowlark | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Sturnella neglecta | Western Meadowlark | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | Yellow-headed Blackbird | G5 | S1S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Euphagus carolinus | Rusty Blackbird | G4 | S2B,S2N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Euphagus cyanocephalus | Brewer's Blackbird | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Loxia leucoptera | White-winged Crossbill | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Loxia curvirostra | Red Crossbill | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Coccothraustes vespertinus | Evening Grosbeak | G5 | S2B,S2N | SC/M | SGCN | Y |
Rank and status: To learn more about species rank and status, see the working list key. WWAP: (Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan): SGCN (Species of Greatest Conservation Need) and monitoring and ranking SIN (Species with Information Needs). Mapped in NHI: (Natural Heritage Inventory): Y = Observations of these species are mapped into the NHI database.
Last revised: Monday, November 18, 2019
