Rare Animals

Summary Information on NY's Rare Animals

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Animal Conservation Status

Our database includes detailed information on the conservation status of each animal species. Conservation status ranks, or S-ranks, reflect a species’ relative risk of extirpation from New York based on factors such as its geographic range, population size, number of occurrences, viability, population trends, and threats. S-ranks range from 1 to 5 with S1 being critically imperiled and S5 being widespread, abundant, and secure. We update these ranks periodically as new data become available. For example, in 2020, we began reassessing all freshwater mussel species. Surveys focused on particular species groups, like the New York Dragonfly and Damselfly Survey, Empire State Native Pollinator Survey, New York Mammal Survey and Breeding Bird Atlas supply important data for us to be able to update existing ranks and assign ranks to some species for the very first time.

More information on S-ranking, and our list of tracked species, can be found in the Rare Animal Status List (PDF, 882 KB).

Conservation status in New York varies widely by species group. This chart displays the number of species in some major groups with their "rounded" S-ranks (those with range ranks, like S1S2 or S4S5, get rounded to the more imperiled rank).