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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 vertebrate animals, contact:
- Rich Staffen
Conservation Biologist
608-266-4340 - For information on Wisconsin's rare invertebrates, contact:
- Jay Watson
Conservation Biologist
920-662-5161
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grus americana | Whooping Crane | G1 | SXB | NEP | SC/FL | SGCN | N |
| Calidris canutus rufa | Red Knot | G4T2 | S1N | LT | SC/FL | SGCN | N |
| Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | Yellow-headed Blackbird | G5 | S1S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Vireo bellii | Bell's Vireo | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Vermivora chrysoptera | Golden-winged Warbler | G4 | S3B | SOC | SC/M | SGCN | Y |
| Tympanuchus phasianellus | Sharp-tailed Grouse | G5 | S1 | SC/H | SGCN | Y | |
| Tympanuchus cupido | Greater Prairie-Chicken | G4 | S1 | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Sturnella neglecta | Western Meadowlark | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Sturnella magna | Eastern Meadowlark | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Sterna hirundo | Common Tern | G5 | S1B,S2N | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Sterna forsteri | Forster's Tern | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Spiza americana | Dickcissel | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga kirtlandii | Kirtland's Warbler | G3G4 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga dominica | Yellow-throated Warbler | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga citrina | Hooded Warbler | G5 | S2S3B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga cerulea | Cerulean Warbler | G4 | S2S3B | SOC | THR | SGCN | Y |
| Scolopax minor | American Woodcock | G5 | S3S4B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Regulus calendula | Ruby-crowned Kinglet | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Rallus elegans | King Rail | G4 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Protonotaria citrea | Prothonotary Warbler | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Progne subis | Purple Martin | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Pooecetes gramineus | Vesper Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Poecile hudsonicus | Boreal Chickadee | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Podiceps grisegena | Red-necked Grebe | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Picoides arcticus | Black-backed Woodpecker | G5 | S1S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Phalaropus tricolor | Wilson's Phalarope | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Perisoreus canadensis | Canada Jay | G5 | S2S3 | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Oporornis agilis | Connecticut Warbler | G4G5 | S2B | SC/M | 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 | |
| Melanerpes erythrocephalus | Red-headed Woodpecker | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Lanius ludovicianus | Loggerhead Shrike | G4 | S1B | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Ixobrychus exilis | Least Bittern | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Icteria virens | Yellow-breasted Chat | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Hydroprogne caspia | Caspian Tern | G5 | S1B,S2N | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Himantopus mexicanus | Black-necked Stilt | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Helmitheros vermivorum | Worm-eating Warbler | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Geothlypis formosa | Kentucky Warbler | G5 | S1S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Falco peregrinus | Peregrine Falcon | G4 | S1S2B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Falcipennis canadensis | Spruce Grouse | G5 | S1S2 | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Euphagus cyanocephalus | Brewer's Blackbird | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Euphagus carolinus | Rusty Blackbird | G4 | S2B,S2N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Empidonax virescens | Acadian Flycatcher | G5 | S3B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Empidonax minimus | Least Flycatcher | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Dolichonyx oryzivorus | Bobolink | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Coturnicops noveboracensis | Yellow Rail | G4 | S1B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Contopus cooperi | Olive-sided Flycatcher | G4 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Colinus virginianus | Northern Bobwhite | G4G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Coccothraustes vespertinus | Evening Grosbeak | G5 | S2B,S2N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Chordeiles minor | Common Nighthawk | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Chondestes grammacus | Lark Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Chlidonias niger | Black Tern | G4G5 | S2B | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Charadrius melodus | Piping Plover | G3 | S1B | LE | END | SGCN | Y |
| Centronyx henslowii | Henslow's Sparrow | G4 | S2S3B | SOC | THR | SGCN | Y |
| Catharus ustulatus | Swainson's Thrush | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Buteo lineatus | Red-shouldered Hawk | G5 | S3S4B,S1N | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Bucephala clangula | Common Goldeneye | G5 | S2B,S5N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Botaurus lentiginosus | American Bittern | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Bartramia longicauda | Upland Sandpiper | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Asio otus | Long-eared Owl | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Asio flammeus | Short-eared Owl | G5 | S1B,S3N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ardea alba | Great Egret | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Antrostomus vociferus | Eastern Whip-poor-will | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Anas rubripes | American Black Duck | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ammospiza nelsoni | Nelson's Sparrow | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ammospiza leconteii | LeConte's Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ammodramus savannarum | Grasshopper Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Accipiter gentilis | Northern Goshawk | G5 | S2B,S2N | SOC | SC/M | SGCN | Y |
| Vireo philadelphicus | Philadelphia Vireo | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Loxia leucoptera | White-winged Crossbill | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Loxia curvirostra | Red Crossbill | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Cardellina pusilla | Wilson's Warbler | G5 | SUB,S4N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Anas americana | American Wigeon | G5 | S3N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Anas acuta | Northern Pintail | G5 | S3N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Toxostoma rufum | Brown Thrasher | G5 | S4B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Spizella pusilla | Field Sparrow | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Setophaga palmarum | Palm Warbler | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Parkesia motacilla | Louisiana Waterthrush | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Hylocichla mustelina | Wood Thrush | G4 | S4B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Gavia immer | Common Loon | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Coccyzus americanus | Yellow-billed Cuckoo | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Circus hudsonius | Northern Harrier | G5 | S3B,S2N | m-SIN | N | ||
| Cardellina canadensis | Canada Warbler | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N |
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: Thursday, October 08, 2020
