Species of Greatest Conservation Need

1124 species
Taxonomic Group
Federal Status
State Status
Endemic

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Species of Greatest Conservation Need (Updated: 02/18/2025)
Common Name Scientifc Name Taxonomic Group Federal Status State Status Global Rank State Rank Endemic General Habitat Type(s)
Le Conte's Sparrow Ammospiza leconteii Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3 False In the winter they are typically found in old fields or prairies, damp grassy meadows, or coastal grasslands, especially in vegetation about 2 feet tall.
Seaside Sparrow Ammospiza maritima Birds Not Listed Not Listed G4 S4B False Seaside Sparrows are habitat specialists that spend their entire lives in tidal saltmarshes and brackish marshes. Some tidal marshes are well away from saltwater, and this species nests up to 13 miles inland in some brackish marshes. They require nest sites that will not be flooded during highest tides, so some very low-lying marshes are not suitable for nesting. The highest densities of Seaside Sparrows occur in extensive marshes that have a mix of plant species and a mosaic of creeks, which provide openings that offer plenty of prey species. Higher parts of the marsh often have bushes such as wax myrtle or groundsel, and flowering plants such as sea ox-eye. Along the edges of many marshes, the invasive common reed (Phragmites) has become prevalent; Seaside Sparrows do not typically forage in stands of reeds but do sometimes build nests in them.
Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula Birds Not Listed Not Listed G4 S4B False Estuaries, ponds, lakes, secondary bays.
Sprague's pipit Anthus spragueii Birds Not Listed Not Listed G3G4 S3N False The county distribution for this species includes geographic areas that the species may use during migration. Time of year should be factored into evaluations to determine potential presence of this species in a specific county. Habitat during migration and in winter consists of pastures and weedy fields (AOU 1983), including grasslands with dense herbaceous vegetation or grassy agricultural fields.
Chuck-will's-widow Antrostomus carolinensis Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3S4B False Chuck-will's-widows breed in pine, oak-hickory, and other forests. They tend to live in more open areas than the similar Whip-poor-will. In winter you can find them in brush, woodlands, hedgerows, thickets, and fields.
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4N False Winter habitat includes large open areas within woodlots, stubble fields, fresh and saltwater marshes, weedy fields, dumps, gravel pits, rock quarries, and shrub thickets.
zone-tailed hawk Buteo albonotatus Birds Not Listed T G4 S3B False Arid open country, including open deciduous or pine-oak woodland, mesa or mountain county, often near watercourses, and wooded canyons and tree-lined rivers along middle-slopes of desert mountains; nests in various habitats and sites, ranging from small trees in lower desert, giant cottonwoods in riparian areas, to mature conifers in high mountain regions
gray hawk Buteo plagiatus Birds Not Listed T G5 S2B False Locally and irregularly along U.S.-Mexico border; mature riparian woodlands and nearby semiarid mesquite and scrub grasslands; breeding range formerly extended north to southernmost Rio Grande floodplain of Texas
common black-hawk Buteogallus anthracinus Birds Not Listed T G4G5 S2B False Cottonwood-lined rivers and streams; willow tree groves on the lower Rio Grande floodplain; formerly bred in south Texas
Green Heron Butorides virescens Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S5B False Swamps, mangroves, marshes, and margins of ponds, rivers, lakes, and lagoons. Eggs are laid in platform nest in tree, thicket, or bush over water or sometimes in dry woodland or orchard; nests in both freshwater and brackish situations.
lark bunting Calamospiza melanocorys Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4B False Overall, it's a generalist in most short grassland settings including ones with some brushy component plus certain agricultural lands that include grain sorghum. Short grasses include sideoats and blue gramas, sand dropseed, prairie junegrass (Koeleria), buffalograss also with patches of bluestem and other mid-grass species. This bunting will frequent smaller patches of grasses or disturbed patches of grasses including rural yards. It also uses weedy fields surrounding playas. This species avoids urban areas and cotton fields.
chestnut-collared longspur Calcarius ornatus Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3 False Occurs in open shortgrass settings especially in patches with some bare ground. Also occurs in grain sorghum fields and Conservation Reserve Program lands
Sanderling Calidris alba Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S5 False Nonbreeding: primarily sandy beaches, less frequently on mud flats and shores of lakes or rivers (AOU 1983) also on exposed reefs (Pratt et al. 1987). Sleeps/loafs on upper beach or on salt pond dike.
rufa red knot Calidris canutus rufa Birds T T G4T2 S2N False The county distribution for this species includes geographic areas that the species may use during migration. Time of year should be factored into evaluations to determine potential presence of this species in a specific county. Habitat: Primarily seacoasts on tidal flats and beaches, herbaceous wetland, and Tidal flat/shore. Bolivar Flats in Galveston County, sandy beaches Mustang Island, few on outer coastal and barrier beaches, tidal mudflats and salt marshes.
Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4B False In general, preferred habitat is arid-semiarid, mixed shrub-grassland. Common shrubs of preferred habitat include acacia (ACACIA spp.), sand sagebrush (ARTEMISIA FILIFOLIA), four-winged saltbush (ATRIPLEX CANESCENS), cacti (OPUNTIA spp.), honey mesquite (PROSOPIS GLANDULOSA), sumacs (RHUS AROMATICA, R. MICROPHYLLA, R. TRILOBATA), yucca (YUCCA spp.), and snakeweed (XANTHOCEPHALUM SAROTHRAE).
Lucifer Hummingbird Calothorax lucifer Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4B False In the U.S., Lucifer Hummingbirds occur from March to September, mostly in Chihuahuan desert foothills at elevations of about 3,500�5,500 feet. Here they occur in canyons, dry washes, and scrub with agave, ocotillo, cholla, sotol shrubs and cacti.
northern beardless-tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Birds Not Listed T G5 S1S2 False Mesquite woodlands; also cottonwood, willow, elm, and tepeguaje near the Rio Grande. Breeding April to July
Cactus Wren Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4B False Desert (especially with cholla cactus or yucca), mesquite, arid scrub, coastal sage scrub, and in trees in towns in arid regions (Tropical to Subtropical zones) (AOU 1983). Nests in OPUNTIA cactus, or in twiggy, thorny, trees and shrubs, sometimes in buildings. Nest may be relined and used as a winter roost.
Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4 False Wilson�s warblers key in on forests and scrubby areas along streams to fatten up during migration. During the nonbreeding season they use many types of habitats from lowland thickets near streams to high-elevation cloud forests in Mexico and Central America.
Pyrrhuloxia Cardinalis sinuatus Birds Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4B False Pyrrhuloxias live in upland deserts, mesquite savannas, riparian (streamside) woodlands, desert scrublands, farm fields with hedgerows, and residential areas with nearby mesquite. When not breeding, some Pyrrhuloxias wander into urban habitats, mesquite-hackberry habitats, and riparian habitats with Arizona sycamore and cottonwood.
Baird's Sparrow Centronyx bairdii Birds Not Listed Not Listed G4 SUN False Shortgrass prairie with scattered low bushes and matted vegetation; mostly migratory in western half of State, though winters in Mexico and just across Rio Grande into Texas from Brewster through Hudspeth counties
Henslow's Sparrow Centronyx henslowii Birds Not Listed Not Listed G4 S2S3N,SXB False Wintering individuals (not flocks) found in weedy fields or cut-over areas where lots of bunch grasses occur along with vines and brambles; a key component is bare ground for running/walking
piping plover Charadrius melodus Birds T T G3 S2N False The county distribution for this species includes geographic areas that the species may use during migration. Time of year should be factored into evaluations to determine potential presence of this species in a specific county. Beaches, sandflats, and dunes along Gulf Coast beaches and adjacent offshore islands. Also spoil islands in the Intracoastal Waterway. Based on the November 30, 1992 Section 6 Job No. 9.1, Piping Plover and Snowy Plover Winter Habitat Status Survey, algal flats appear to be the highest quality habitat. Some of the most important aspects of algal flats are their relative inaccessibility and their continuous availability throughout all tidal conditions. Sand flats often appear to be preferred over algal flats when both are available, but large portions of sand flats along the Texas coast are available only during low-very low tides and are often completely unavailable during extreme high tides or strong north winds. Beaches appear to serve as a secondary habitat to the flats associated with the primary bays, lagoons, and inter-island passes. Beaches are rarely used on the southern Texas coast, where bayside habitat is always available, and are abandoned as bayside habitats become available on the central and northern coast. However, beaches are probably a vital habitat along the central and northern coast (i.e. north of Padre Island) during periods of extreme high tides that cover the flats. Optimal site characteristics appear to be large in area, sparsely vegetated, continuously available or in close proximity to secondary habitat, and with limited human disturbance.
mountain plover Charadrius montanus Birds Not Listed Not Listed G3 S2 False The county distribution for this species includes geographic areas that the species may use during migration. Time of year should be factored into evaluations to determine potential presence of this species in a specific county. Breeding: nests on high plains or shortgrass prairie, on ground in shallow depression; nonbreeding: shortgrass plains and bare, dirt (plowed) fields; primarily insectivorous.
Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus Birds Not Listed Not Listed G3 S3B False Algal flats appear to be the highest quality habitat. Some of the most important aspects of algal flats are their relative inaccessibility and their continuous availability throughout all tidal conditions. An optimal site characteristic would be large in size. The size of populations appear to be roughly proportional to the total area of suitable habitat used. Formerly an uncommon breeder in the Panhandle; potential migrant; winter along coast.