Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada's (COSEWIC) status change definitions for reassessed wildlife species
- In a higher risk category
- Wildlife species placed in a higher risk category after reassessment on the date shown.
- In a lower risk category
- Wildlife species placed in a lower risk category after reassessment on the date shown.
- No change
- Wildlife species stays in the same category after reassessment on the date shown.
- Changed
- Wildlife species moved to the Data Deficient category from a risk category, or to a risk category from the Data Deficient category on the date shown.
- Reassigned
- Wildlife species that has been assigned to a different designatable unit than previously on the date shown.
- No longer at risk
- Wildlife species moved to the Not at Risk category from a risk category on the date shown.
Note that status change names definitions were modified in May 2004 as follows: "uplisted" was changed to "in a higher risk category," and "downlisted" was changed to "in a lower risk category." This new terminology was adopted to avoid using the word "list" in reference to species assessed by COSEWIC and thus avoid confusion with species on the Legal List of species at risk under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).
"Reassigned" is a new status change definition. Previously, "new" was used to describe those species that had been reassigned to a new designatable unit as well as those that had never before been examined by COSEWIC. Now, the term "new" is reserved for the latter situation only.