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State List of Endangered & Threatened Species
Endangered and Threatened inland fish and wildlife species in Maine are listed either under Maine's Endangered Species Act [MESA], the U.S. Endangered Species Act [ESA], or both. Species listed under MESA receive state protection; species listed under ESA receive federal protection; and species listed under both receive state and federal protection.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife holds management responsibility for inland fish and wildlife listed under MESA, and shares responsibility with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] for inland fish and wildlife listed under ESA.
Endangered and Threatened marine species are listed under Maine's Marine Endangered Species Act or ESA. The Maine Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) has responsibility for these species.
The Maine Endangered Species Act applies only to animals - plants are not included in the legislation. The Maine Natural Areas Program maintains an "official" list of rare and endangered plants in Maine.
There are currently 26 inland fish and wildlife species listed as Endangered and 31 listed as Threatened under Maine's Endangered Species Act [MESA], some of which are also listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act [ESA].
Information about the status, life history, and conservation of each listed species is available in a fact sheet linked to the species name in the following lists. Fact sheets are available in PDF format.
Species listed through the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife under Title 12 § 12803. Marine species listed separately through the Maine Department of Marine Resources under Title 12 § 6975, and federally listed species not listed under Maine's Endangered Species Act, are not included in this list.
Maine's Endangered Species
October 25, 2023
Birds
- American Pipit (PDF) (Anthus rubescens) (breeding population only) (species plan)
- Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
- Black Tern (PDF) (Chlidonias niger)
- Golden Eagle (PDF) (Aquila chrysaetos) (species plan)
- Grasshopper Sparrow (PDF) (Ammodramus savannarum)
- Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis)
- Least Tern (PDF) (Sterna antillarum) (species plan)
- Peregrine Falcon (PDF) (Falco peregrinus) (breeding population only)
- Piping Plover (PDF) (Charadrius melodus) (species plan)**
- Roseate Tern (PDF) (Sterna dougallii) (species plan)*
- Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus)
- Sedge Wren (PDF) (Cistothorus platensis)
Fish
- Redfin Pickerel (Esox americanus americanus)
Invertebrates
Beetles
- Cobblestone Tiger Beetle (Cicindela marginipennis)
Bumble Bees
- Ashton's Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus ashtoni)
Butterflies and Skippers
- Edwards' Hairstreak (PDF) (Satyrium edwardsii)
- Frigga Fritillary (Boloria frigga)
- Hessel's Hairstreak (PDF) (Callophrys hesseli)
- Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)
- Katahdin Arctic (PDF) (Oenis polixenes katahdin)
Snails
- Six-whorl Vertigo (Vertigo morsei)
Mammals
- Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)
- New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) (species plan)
- Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis)**
Reptiles
Snakes
- Black Racer (PDF) (Coluber constrictor) (species plan)
Turtles
- Blanding's Turtle (PDF) (Emydoidea blandingii) (species plan)
Maine's Threatened Species
October 25, 2023
Birds
- Arctic Tern (PDF) (Sterna paradisaea) (species plan)
- Atlantic Puffin (PDF) (Fratercula arctica) (species plan)
- Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
- Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) (species plan)
- Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli)
- Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata)
- Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
- Common Gallinule (Gallinula chloropus)
- Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) (Breeding population only)
- Harlequin Duck (PDF) (Histrionicus histrionicus) (species plan)
- Razorbill (PDF) (Alca torda) (species plan)
- Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) (Breeding population only)
- Upland Sandpiper (PDF) (Bartramia longicauda) (species plan)
Fish
- Swamp Darter (PDF) (Etheostoma fusiforme)
Invertebrates
Beetles
- Margined Tiger Beetle (Ellipsoptera marginata)
Butterflies and Skippers
- Clayton's Copper (PDF) (Lycaena dorcas claytoni) (species plan)
- Purple Lesser Fritillary (Boloria chariclea grandis)
- Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
Dragonflies and Damselflies
- Boreal Snaketail (Ophiogomphus colubrinus)
- Ringed Boghaunter (PDF) (Williamsonia lintneri)
Freshwater Mussels
- Brook Floater (PDF) (Alasmidonta varicosa)
- Tidewater Mucket (PDF) (Leptodea ochracea)
- Yellow Lampmussel (PDF) (Lampsilis cariosa)
Mayflies
- Roaring Brook Mayfly (PDF) (Epeorus frisoni)
- Tomah Mayfly (PDF) (Siphlonisca aerodromia)
Moths
- Pine Barrens Zanclognatha (PDF) (Zanclognatha martha)
- Twilight Moth (PDF) (Lycia rachelae)
Mammals
- Eastern Small-footed Bat (Myotis leibii)
- Northern Bog Lemming (PDF) (Synaptomys borealis)
- Tri-colored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus)
Reptiles
- Spotted Turtle (PDF) (Clemmys guttata) (species plan)
* Federally listed as Endangered
** Federally listed as Threatened