Species of Special Concern

Many birds in Washington are showing signs of decline due to habitat loss and other environmental threats. Some of these species are still relatively common and widespread while others have all but disappeared from the state. After careful scientific monitoring, various government agencies and non-governmental organizations formally designate those species deemed most at risk, placing them on special lists in order to provide protection and call attention to their status. Designations from four of the most important lists are compiled in the table below: the federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), the Audubon/American Bird Conservancy Watch List, the state Species of Concern list (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife), and the Audubon Washington Vulnerable Birds list.

Click on the name at the head of the column for further details about each list, or on a species' name on the table to go to its BirdWeb account.

Federal Endangered Species ListAmerican Bird Conservancy's Threats to BirdsState Endangered Species ListAudubon's Species on the Brink
Emperor Goose--Yellow List----
Brant------Early Warning
Cackling Goose------Early Warning
Trumpeter Swan------High Concern
Canvasback------Early Warning
Redhead------Early Warning
Steller's Eider--Red List----
Harlequin Duck------Early Warning
Barrow's Goldeneye------Early Warning
Hooded Merganser------Early Warning
Greater Sage-GrouseCandidateYellow ListThreatenedImmediate Concern
Sooty Grouse--Yellow List--Early Warning
Sharp-tailed Grouse----ThreatenedImmediate Concern
Mountain Quail------Early Warning
Red-throated Loon--Yellow List----
Common Loon----SensitiveEarly Warning
Yellow-billed Loon--Yellow List----
Horned Grebe----Monitored--
Red-necked Grebe----Monitored--
Western Grebe----CandidateHigh Concern
Clark's Grebe--Yellow ListCandidateEarly Warning
Laysan Albatross--Yellow List----
Black-footed Albatross--Yellow List--Early Warning
Short-tailed AlbatrossEndangeredRed ListCandidate--
Pink-footed Shearwater--Yellow List--Early Warning
Ashy Storm-Petrel--Red List----
Red-billed Tropicbird--Yellow List----
Brown Booby--Yellow List----
American White Pelican----ThreatenedEarly Warning
Brown PelicanEndangered----Early Warning
Brandt's Cormorant----CandidateEarly Warning
Red-faced Cormorant--Yellow List----
Pelagic Cormorant------Early Warning
Magnificent Frigatebird--Yellow List----
American Bittern------Immediate Concern
Great Blue Heron----Monitored--
Great Egret----Monitored--
Green Heron----Monitored--
Black-crowned Night-Heron----Monitored--
Turkey Vulture----Monitored--
California Condor--Red List----
Osprey----Monitored--
Bald EagleDelisted-Recovered----Early Warning
Cooper's Hawk------Early Warning
Northern Goshawk----CandidateImmediate Concern
Swainson's Hawk--Yellow ListMonitoredEarly Warning
Ferruginous Hawk----ThreatenedImmediate Concern
Golden Eagle----CandidateHigh Concern
Merlin----CandidateEarly Warning
Gyrfalcon----Monitored--
Peregrine FalconDelisted-Recovered----Early Warning
Prairie Falcon----MonitoredHigh Concern
Yellow Rail--Red List----
Sandhill Crane----EndangeredEarly Warning
American Golden-Plover--Yellow List----
Pacific Golden-Plover--Yellow List----
Snowy Plover
(Western subspecies)
ThreatenedRed ListEndangeredImmediate Concern
Mountain Plover--Red List----
Black Oystercatcher--Yellow ListMonitoredEarly Warning
Black-necked Stilt----Monitored--
Wandering Tattler--Yellow List----
Willet--Yellow List----
Lesser Yellowlegs--Yellow List----
Upland Sandpiper----Endangered--
Whimbrel--Yellow List--Early Warning
Bristle-thighed Curlew--Red List----
Long-billed Curlew--Yellow ListMonitoredImmediate Concern
Hudsonian Godwit--Yellow List----
Bar-tailed Godwit--Yellow List----
Marbled Godwit--Yellow List--Early Warning
Ruddy Turnstone------Early Warning
Black Turnstone--Yellow List--Early Warning
Surfbird--Yellow List--Early Warning
Red Knot--Red List--Immediate Concern
Sanderling--Yellow List--Early Warning
Semipalmated Sandpiper--Yellow List----
Western Sandpiper--Yellow List----
Pectoral Sandpiper--Yellow List----
Rock Sandpiper------Early Warning
Dunlin--Yellow List----
Buff-breasted Sandpiper--Yellow List----
Short-billed Dowitcher--Yellow List--Early Warning
Wilson's Phalarope------Early Warning
Heermann's Gull------Early Warning
Western Gull------Early Warning
Ross's Gull--Yellow List----
Ivory Gull--Red List----
Caspian Tern----MonitoredHigh Concern
Black Tern----MonitoredEarly Warning
Arctic Tern----MonitoredEarly Warning
Forster's Tern----Monitored--
Common Murre----CandidateEarly Warning
Marbled MurreletThreatenedRed ListEndangeredImmediate Concern
Kittlitz's Murrelet--Red List----
Cassin's Auklet----CandidateEarly Warning
Tufted Puffin----EndangeredEarly Warning
Band-tailed Pigeon--Yellow List--High Concern
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
(Western population)
ThreatenedRed ListCandidate--
Black-billed Cuckoo--Yellow List----
Flammulated Owl--Yellow ListCandidateHigh Concern
Western Screech-Owl--Red List----
Snowy Owl----Monitored--
Burrowing Owl----CandidateHigh Concern
Spotted Owl
(Northern subspecies)
ThreatenedYellow ListEndangeredImmediate Concern
Great Gray Owl----MonitoredEarly Warning
Short-eared Owl--Yellow List--High Concern
Boreal Owl----Monitored--
Black Swift--Yellow ListMonitoredImmediate Concern
Vaux's Swift----CandidateEarly Warning
White-throated Swift------Early Warning
Black-chinned Hummingbird------Early Warning
Calliope Hummingbird------Early Warning
Rufous Hummingbird--Yellow List--Early Warning
Allen's Hummingbird--Yellow List----
Lewis's Woodpecker--Yellow ListCandidateHigh Concern
Williamson's Sapsucker------Early Warning
Red-naped Sapsucker------Early Warning
Red-breasted Sapsucker------Early Warning
White-headed Woodpecker----CandidateImmediate Concern
Black-backed Woodpecker----CandidateEarly Warning
Pileated Woodpecker----CandidateEarly Warning
Olive-sided Flycatcher--Yellow List--Immediate Concern
Willow Flycatcher------Early Warning
Hammond's Flycatcher------Early Warning
Gray Flycatcher----Monitored--
Dusky Flycatcher------Early Warning
Western Flycatcher------Early Warning
Ash-throated Flycatcher----Monitored--
Loggerhead Shrike----CandidateImmediate Concern
Cassin's Vireo------Early Warning
Pinyon Jay--Yellow List----
Horned Lark
(Streaked subspecies)
ThreatenedRed ListEndangeredImmediate Concern
Purple Martin----CandidateHigh Concern
Boreal Chickadee----Monitored--
White-breasted Nuthatch
(Slender-billed subspecies)
----CandidateEarly Warning
Pygmy Nuthatch----MonitoredEarly Warning
Western Bluebird----MonitoredEarly Warning
Gray Catbird------Early Warning
Sage Thrasher----CandidateHigh Concern
Golden-winged Warbler--Yellow List----
Yellow Warbler------Early Warning
Black-throated Gray Warbler------Early Warning
Hermit Warbler------Early Warning
Prairie Warbler--Yellow List----
Prothonotary Warbler--Yellow List----
Northern Waterthrush----Monitored--
Kentucky Warbler--Yellow List----
MacGillivray's Warbler------Early Warning
Yellow-breasted Chat------Early Warning
Green-tailed Towhee----Monitored--
Chipping Sparrow------Early Warning
Brewer's Sparrow--Yellow List--High Concern
Vesper Sparrow
(Oregon subspecies)
--Red ListCandidateImmediate Concern
Sage Sparrow----CandidateHigh Concern
Grasshopper Sparrow----Monitored--
Harris's Sparrow--Yellow List----
Chestnut-collared Longspur--Yellow List----
McKay's Bunting--Yellow List----
Lazuli Bunting------Early Warning
Bobolink--Yellow ListMonitored--
Tricolored Blackbird--Red List----
Cassin's Finch--Yellow List----
Lesser Goldfinch----Monitored--
Evening Grosbeak--Yellow List----