The lists of New Jersey’s endangered and threatened wildlife species are maintained by the NJDEP Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP). These lists are used to determine protection and management actions necessary to ensure the survival of our state’s endangered, threatened and other nongame wildlife. See the Species Status Assessment page for information on the listing process.

To report a sighting of endangered or threatened wildlife, use the Rare Wildlife Sighting Report Form.

Wildlife Species Status Classifications

Endangered Species are those whose prospects for survival in New Jersey are in immediate danger because of a loss or change in habitat, over-exploitation, predation, competition, disease, disturbance or contamination. Assistance is needed to prevent future extinction in New Jersey. See below for the list of endangered species in New Jersey.

Threatened Species are those who may become endangered if conditions surrounding them begin to or continue to deteriorate. See below for the list of threatened species in New Jersey

Species of Special Concern are those who warrant special attention because of some evidence of decline, inherent vulnerability to environmental deterioration, or habitat modification that would result in their becoming a threatened species. This category also applies to species that meet the foregoing criteria and for which there is little understanding of their current population status in the state. For a list of special concern species in New Jersey, see the Special Concern Species List (pdf, 87kb).

Other Classifications: There are other classifications for wildlife including Stable, Undetermined, and Game. For a complete listing of species monitored by the ENSP, see the Species Status Listing.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need are determined separately from species status assessments. These are indigenous species that have met specific criteria that warrant being listed as such in the New Jersey State Wildlife Action Plan. This list (pdf, 275kb) includes all state listed species as well as those listed as concern based on national or regional plans/criteria. For more information about species of greatest conservation need, see the New Jersey State Wildlife Action Plan (pdf, 34mb).

List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife Species

Species names in the tables below link to PDF documents containing identification, habitat and status and conservation information. For more detailed descriptions, photographs, and range maps of New Jersey’s endangered, threatened, and special concern species, please refer to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ’s online field guide.

Birds

Endangered			Threatened
Bittern, American BR	Botaurus lentiginosos BR		Bobolink BR	Dolichonyx oryzivorus BR
Eagle, bald BR	Haliaeetus leucocephalus BR		Eagle, bald NB	Haliaeetus leucocephalus NB
Falcon, peregrine BR	Falco peregrinus BR		Egret, cattle BR	Bubulcus ibis BR
Goshawk, northern BR	Accipiter gentilis BR		Kestrel, American	Falco sparverius
Grebe, pied-billed BR	Podilymbus podiceps BR		Lark, horned BR	Eremophila alpestris BR
Harrier, northern BR	Circus cyaneus BR		Night-heron, black-crowned BR	Nycticorax nycticorax BR
Hawk, red-shouldered BR	Buteo lineatus BR		Night-heron, yellow-crowned	Nyctanassa violacea
Knot, red NB	Calidris canutus NB		Osprey BR	Pandion haliaetus BR
Owl, short-eared BR	Asio flammeus BR		Owl, barred	Strix varia
Plover, piping**	Charadrius melodus**		Owl, long-eared	Asio otus
Rail, black BR	Laterallus jamaicensis BR		Rail, black NB	Laterallus jamaicensis NB
Sandpiper, upland	Batramia longicauda		Sparrow, grasshopper BR	Ammodramus savannarum BR
Shrike, loggerhead NB	Lanius ludovicianus NB		Sparrow, Savannah BR	Passerculus sandwichensis BR
Skimmer, black	Rynchops niger		Woodpecker, red-headed	Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Sparrow, Henslow’s	Ammodramus henslowii
Sparrow, vesper BR	Pooecetes gramineus BR
Tern, least	Sternula antillarum
Tern, roseate**	Sterna dougallii**
Warbler, golden-winged BR	Vermivora chrysoptera BR
Wren, sedge	Cistothorus platensis
**Federally endangered or threatened				BR – Breeding population only; NB – non-breeding population only

Reptiles

Endangered			Threatened
Rattlesnake, timber	Crotalus h. horridus		Snake, northern pine	Pituophis m. melanoleucus
Snake, corn	Elaphe g. guttata		Turtle, Atlantic green**	Chelonia mydas**
Snake, queen	Regina septemvittata		Turtle, wood	Glyptemys insculpta
Turtle, bog**	Glyptemys muhlenbergii**
Hawksbill, Atlantic**	Eretmochelys imbricata**
Leatherback, Atlantic **	Dermochelys coriacea**
Loggerhead, Atlantic **	Caretta caretta**
Ridley, Atlantic **	Lepidochelys kempii**
**Federally endangered or threatened

Amphibians

Endangered			Threatened
Salamander, blue-spotted	Ambystoma laterale		Salamander, eastern mud	Pseudotriton montanus
Salamander, eastern tiger	Ambystoma tigrinum		Salamander, long-tailed	Eurycea longicauda
Treefrog, southern gray	Hyla chrysocelis		Treefrog, pine barrens	Hyla andersonii

Invertebrates

Endangered			Threatened
Beetle, American burying**	Nicrophorus americanus**		Baskettail, robust(dragonfly)	Epitheca spinosa
Beetle, northeastern beach tiger**	Cincindela d. dorsalis**		Clubtail, banner (dragonfly	Gomphus apomyius
Copper, bronze	Lycaena hyllus		Clubtail, harpoon (dragonfly)	Gomphus descriptus
Floater, brook (mussel)	Alasmidonta varicosa		Elfin, frosted (butterfly)	Callophrys irus
Floater, green (mussel)	Lasmigona subviridis		Emerald, Kennedy’s (dragonfly)	Somatochlora kennedyi
Petaltail, gray (dragonfly)	Tachopteryx thoreyi		Floater, triangle (mussel)	Alasmidonta undulata
Satyr, Mitchell’s (butterfly)**	Neonympha m. mitchellii**		Fritillary, silver-bordered (butterfly)	Bolaria selene myrina
Skipper, arogos (butterfly)	Atrytone arogos arogos		Jewelwing, superb (dragonfly)	Calopteryx amata
Skipper, Appalachian grizzled (butterfly)	Pyrgus wyandot		Lampmussel, eastern (mussel)	Lampsilis radiata
Wedgemussel, dwarf**	Alasmidonta heterodon**		Lampmussel, yellow (mussel)	Lampsilis cariosa
			Mucket, tidewater (mussel)	Leptodea ochracea
			Pondmussel, eastern (mussel)	Ligumia nasuta
			Snaketail, brook, (dragonfly)	Ophiogomphus asperses
			White, checkered (butterfly)	Pontia protodice
**Federally endangered or threatened

Mammals

Endangered
Bat, Indiana**	Myotis sodalis**
Bobcat	Lynx rufus
Whale, North Atlantic right**	Eubalaena glacialis**
Whale, blue**	Balaenoptera musculus**
Whale, fin**	Balaenoptera physalus**
Whale, humpback**	Megaptera novaeangliae**
Whale, sei**	Balaenoptera borealis**
Whale,sperm**	Physeter macrocephalus**
Woodrat, Allegheny	Neotoma magister
**Federally Endangered

Fish

Endangered
Sturgeon, Atlantic**	Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus**
Sturgeon, shortnose**	Acipenser brevirostrum**
**Federally Endangered

List updated 4/2/12

The lists of New Jersey’s endangered and nongame wildlife species are maintained by the NJDEP Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP). These lists are used to determine protection and management actions necessary to ensure the survival of our state’s endangered and nongame wildlife.

Much of the ENSP’s conservation work is made possible through voluntary contributions received through Check-off donations to the Endangered Wildlife Conservation Fund on the State Income Tax Form, the sale of Conserve Wildlife License Plates, and donations. For more information about the Endangered and Nongame Species Program or to report a sighting of endangered or threatened wildlife, contact the Endangered and Nongame Species, NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Mail Code 501-03, PO Box 420, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420.