The Official Website of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department
Serving the Citizens of North Dakota
Wildlife Action Plan
Note: The Wildlife Action Plan is also known as the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy.
100 Species of Conservation Priority
Listed by Level
North Dakota's Wildlife Action Plan or CWCS focuses on 100 species that are considered Species of Conservation Priority. Information relating to the distribution, abundance, habitat requirements, threats, management goals and monitoring techniques for each of these species is included in our CWCS. They are categorized into three levels according to their conservation need:
- Level-I - Species in greatest need of conservation.
- Level-II - Species in need of conservation, but that have had support from other wildlife programs.
- Level-III - Species in moderate need of conservation, but that are on the edge of their range in North Dakota.
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Horned Grebe | Podiceps auritus |
| American White Pelican | Pelecanus erythrorhynchos |
| American Bittern | Botaurus lentiginosus |
| Swainson's Hawk | Buteo swainsoni |
| Ferruginous Hawk | Buteo regalis |
| Yellow Rail | Coturnicops noveboracensis |
| Willet | Catoptrophorus semipalmatus |
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda |
| Long-billed Curlew | Numenius americanus |
| Marbled Godwit | Limosa fedoa |
| Wilson's Phalarope | Phalaropus tricolor |
| Franklin's Gull | Larus pipixcan |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | Coccyzus erythropthalmus |
| Sprague's Pipit | Anthus spragueii |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Ammodramus savannarum |
| Baird's Sparrow | Ammodramus bairdii |
| Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow | Ammodramus nelsonii |
| Lark Bunting | Calamospiza melanocorys |
| Chestnut-collared Longspur | Calcarius ornatus |
| Canadian Toad | Bufo hemiophrys |
| Plains Spadefoot | Spea bombifrons |
| Smooth Green Snake | Liochlorophis vernalis |
| Western Hognose Snake | Heterodon nasicus |
| Black-tailed Prairie Dog | Cynomys ludovicianus |
| Sturgeon Chub | Macrhybopsis gelida |
| Sicklefin Chub | Macrhybopsis meeki |
| Pearl Dace | Margariscus margarita |
| Blue Sucker | Cycleptus elongatus |
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta |
| Canvasback | Aythya valisineria |
| Redhead | Aythya americana |
| Northern Harrier | Circus cyaneus |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos |
| Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus |
| Prairie Falcon | Falco mexicanus |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | Tympanuchus phasianellus |
| Greater Prairie Chicken | Tympanuchus cupido |
| Greater Sage-grouse | Centrocercus urophasianus |
| Piping Plover | Charadrius melodus |
| American Avocet | Recurvirostra americana |
| Least Tern | Sterna antillarum |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus |
| Burrowing Owl | Athene cunicularia |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus |
| Sedge Wren | Cistothorus platensis |
| Dickcissel | Spiza americana |
| Le Conte's Sparrow | Ammodramus leconteii |
| Bobolink | Dolichonyx oryzivorus |
| Common Snapping Turtle | Chelydra serpentina |
| Short-horned Lizard | Phrynosoma douglassi |
| Northern Redbelly Snake | Storeria occipitomaculata |
| Pygmy Shrew | Sorex hoyi |
| Richardson's Ground Squirrel | Spermophilus richardsonii |
| Swift Fox | Vulpes velox |
| River Otter | Lutra canadensis |
| Black-footed Ferret | Mustela nigripes |
| Paddlefish | Polyodon spathula |
| Pallid Sturgeon | Scaphirhynchus albus |
| Silver Chub | Macrhybopsis storeriana |
| Northern Redbelly Dace | Phoxinus eos |
| Flathead Chub | Platygobio gracilis |
| Trout-perch | Percopsis omiscomaycus |
| Threeridge | Amblema plicata |
| Wabash Pigtoe | Fusconaia flava |
| Mapleleaf | Quadrula quadrula |
| Black Sandshell | Ligumia recta |
| Creek Heelsplitter | Lasmigona compressa |
| Pink Heelsplitter | Potamilus alatus |
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Whooping Crane | Grus americana |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| Brewer's Sparrow | Spizella breweri |
| McCown's Longspur | Calcarius mccownii |
| Smooth Softshell Turtle | Apalone mutica |
| False Map Turtle | Graptemys pseudogeographica |
| Northern Prairie Skink | Eumeces septentrionalis |
| Northern Sagebrush Lizard | Sceloporus graciosus |
| Arctic Shrew | Sorex arcticus |
| Western Small-footed Myotis | Myotis ciliolabrum |
| Long-eared Myotis | Myotis evotis |
| Long-legged Myotis | Myotis volans |
| Plains Pocket Mouse | Perognathus flavescens |
| Hispid Pocket Mouse | Chaetodipus hispidus |
| Sagebrush Vole | Lemmiscus curtatus |
| Eastern Spotted Skunk | Spilogale putoris |
| Gray Wolf | Canis lupis |
| Chestnut Lamprey | Ichthyomyzon castaneus |
| Silver Lamprey | Ichthyomyzon unicuspis |
| Central Stoneroller | Campostoma anomalum |
| Hornyhead Chub | Nocomis biguttatus |
| Pugnose Shiner | Notropis anogenus |
| Blacknose Shiner | Notropis heterolepis |
| Rosyface Shiner | Notropis rubellus |
| Finescale Dace | Phoxinus neogaeus |
| Yellow Bullhead | Ameiurus natalis |
| Flathead Catfish | Pylodictis olivaris |
| Logperch | Percina caprodes |
| River Darter | Percina shumardi |
| Pink Papershell | Potamilus ohiensis |
Note: North Dakota's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy was first introduced in the July 2004 issue of North Dakota Outdoors magazine in the article, "100 Species of Conservation Prioity." It is saved in Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® (PDF) format. To view or print it requires downloading and installing a free copy of Reader®, available at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
If you already have Acrobat® Reader® on your machine, select a file below:
ND's
100 Species of Conservation Priority (Introduction) (95Kb pdf)
- Level 1
Species (150Kb pdf)
- Level 2
Species (211Kb pdf)
- Level 3
Species (114Kb pdf)
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