- The number of threatened and endangered species in the U.S. changes as we add or remove species from the list. See how many are currently listed.
Featured Species
Kittlitz's murrelet
A small diving bird related to puffins and murres, the Kittlitz’s Murrelet is one of the rarest and least known seabirds in North America. The species has undergone steep population declines in several of its core population areas. The Kittlitz’s murrelet is now a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Kittlitz's murrelet
Photo credit: Allyson McKnight
Pallid sturgeon
An unusual looking fish, the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) evolved from a group of fishes that were dominant during the late Cretaceous period 70 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth! This unique animal has managed to survive over the millennia, but the future for this “living dinosaur” is now uncertain.
Pallid sturgeon
Photo credit: Ken Bouc, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Ozark hellbender
They may not be pretty, but they are pretty cool. The Ozark hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi) is the largest North American amphibian and is found in rivers and streams in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. Unfortunately, these interesting creatures are declining in numbers throughout their range.
Ozark hellbender
Photo credit: USFWS
Steller's eiders
Most female-type plumages show pale eye ring. Flight fast with rapid beats; male shows white forewing and trailing edge, female has thin white wing bar and trailing edge.
Steller's eiders
Photo credit: Laura L. Whitehouse
News
Three Species of Birds from Latin America and the Caribbean Listed for Endangered Species Act Protection
Credit: Creative
Commons
(Wikipedia)
Three species of birds from Latin America and the Caribbean will be protected by the Endangered Species Act under a final rule published in today’s Federal Register by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Tennessee Purple Coneflower Proposed for Delisting
Credit: Gary Kramer
/USFWS
After a decades-long cooperative conservation effort under the Endangered Species Act, today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed removing the Tennessee purple coneflower from the list of threatened and endangered species.
Program Overview
Photo credit:
Brenda Zaun,
USFWS
We work to recover imperiled plant and animal species, while promoting the voluntary conservation of other vulnerable wildlife.
