COSEWIC wildlife species assessment

Twice per year, Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) meets to discuss and evaluate the status of Canadian wildlife species. Here you will find the List of Wildlife Species scheduled for the next COSEWIC Wildlife Species Assessment Meeting, the results of wildlife species assessment meetings, and the updated COSEWIC Canadian Wildlife Species at Risk Publication.

Assessment process

• Assessment process and criteria
  • Determining eligibility of wildlife species for status assessment
  • COSEWIC quantitative criteria and guidelines for the status assessment of wildlife species
  • Guidelines for modifying status assessment based on rescue effect
  • Policy for modifying status assessment based on quantitative criteria
  • COSEWIC wildlife species definition and status categories
  • COSEWIC definitions associated with quantitative criteria
• Status appraisal summary process
• Status change definitions
• Wildlife Management Boards and the COSEWIC status assessment process
• COSEWIC Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK) process and protocols guidelines

Upcoming wildlife species assessments

COSEWIC meets twice a year to consider new and updated reports and to make its status determinations.

Consult the COSEWIC status reports in preparation to view a list of wildlife species sorted by expected date of wildlife species assessment.

Assessment results (December 2022 COSEWIC wildlife species assessment meeting)

• Wildlife species assessments by taxonomic group
• Summary of new assessments and reassessments by type of change
• Wildlife species assessments (short version)
• Wildlife species assessments (detailed version)
• Assessment results with range of occurrence
• Summary of assessment results to date

Archived: COSEWIC wildlife species assessment meeting

• May 2022
  • Wildlife species assessments by taxonomic group
  • Summary of new assessments and reassessments by type of change
  • Wildlife species assessments (short version)
  • Wildlife species assessments (detailed version)
  • Assessment results with range of occurrence
  • Summary of assessment results to date
• December 2021
  • Wildlife species assessments by taxonomic group
  • Summary of new assessments and reassessments by type of change
  • Wildlife species assessments (short version)
  • Wildlife species assessments (detailed version)
  • Assessment results with range of occurrence
  • Summary of assessment results to date
• May 2021
  • Wildlife species assessments by taxonomic group
  • Summary of new assessments and reassessments by type of change
  • Wildlife species assessments (short version)
  • Wildlife species assessments (detailed version)
  • Assessment results with range of occurrence
  • Summary of assessment results to date
• November 2020
  • Wildlife species assessments by taxonomic group
  • Summary of new assessments and reassessments by type of change
  • Wildlife species assessments (short version)
  • Wildlife species assessments (detailed version)
  • Assessment results with range of occurrence
  • Summary of assessment results to date
• November 2019
  • Wildlife species assessments by taxonomic group
  • Summary of new assessments and reassessments by type of change
  • Wildlife species assessments (short version)
  • Wildlife species assessments (detailed version)
  • Assessment results with range of occurrence
  • Summary of assessment results to date

Canadian wildlife species at risk

All wildlife species assessed by COSEWIC as of October 2021.

Canadian wildlife species at risk October 2021, which is best viewed on your computer screen, also includes minor revisions to COSEWIC information that occur throughout the year. This document is available upon request by contacting the COSEWIC secretariat at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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