COSEWIC wildlife species assessment: status categories

Table 5. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) status categories

Extinct (X)

A wildlife species that no longer exists.

Extirpated (XT)

A wildlife species that no longer exists in the wild in Canada, but exists elsewhere.

Endangered (E)

A wildlife species facing imminent extirpation or extinction.

Threatened (T)

A wildlife species that is likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to its extirpation or extinction.

Special Concern (SC)

A wildlife species that may become threatened or endangered because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.

Data Deficient (DD)

A category that applies when the available information is insufficient (a) to resolve a wildlife species' eligibility for assessment or (b) to permit an assessment of the wildlife species' risk of extinction.

Not At Risk (NAR)

A wildlife species that has been evaluated and found to be not at risk of extinction given the current circumstances.