Species of Special Concern

A species of special concern is any species of fish or wildlife that does not meet the criteria of an endangered or threatened species but is particularly vulnerable, and could easily become, an endangered, threatened, or extirpated species due to restricted distribution, low or declining numbers, specialized habitat needs or limits, or other factors. Special concern species are established by rulemaking, with an opportunity for the public to offer comments. A subset of species are designated as RARE and thereby eligible for regulator review; however these species do not have the same legal protections of endangered and threatened species. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife reviews the list of special concern species every few years, and, based on criteria in the Maine Endangered and Threatened Species Listing Handbook (PDF), and revises the list when necessary.

Current List

February 27, 2022

On this page:

Amphibians

  • Northern Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphryticus porphryticus)
  • Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens)

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Birds

  • Leach’s Storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhoa)
  • Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
  • Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
  • Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)
  • American Coot (breeding population only) (Fulica americana)
  • Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
  • American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliates)
  • Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
  • Red Knot (Calidris canutus)
  • Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla)
  • Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)
  • Bonaparte’s Gull (breeding population only) (Chroicocephalus philadelphia)
  • Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
  • Common Murre (Uria aalge)
  • Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus)
  • Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)
  • Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)
  • Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
  • Horned Lark (breeding population only) (Eremophila alpestris)
  • Purple Martin (Progne subis)
  • Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
  • Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)
  • Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
  • Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)
  • Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)
  • Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
  • Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis)
  • Tennessee Warbler (Leiothlypis peregrina)
  • Fox Sparrow (breeding population only) (Passerella iliaca)
  • Nelson’s Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni)
  • Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
  • American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
  • Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
  • Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)
  • Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
  • Evening Grosbeak (breeding population only) (Coccothraustes vespertinus)
  • Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
  • Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
  • American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis)

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Fish

  • Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus oquassa)
  • Bridle Shiner (Notropis bifrenatus)
  • Creek Chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus)
  • Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae)
  • Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)

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Invertebrates

Mayflies

  • Brown’s Comb Minnow Mayfly (Ameletus browni)

Bumble Bees

  • Rusty Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis)
  • Lemon Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus citrinus)
  • Yellow Bumble Bee (Bombus fervidus)
  • Indiscriminate Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus insularis)

Butterflies

  • Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna)
  • Early Hairstreak (Erora laeta)
  • Leonard’s Skipper (Hesperia leonardus)
  • Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea)
  • Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
  • Northern Blue (Plebejus idas scudderi)
  • Crowberry Blue (Plebejus idas empetri)
  • Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus)
  • Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus)
  • Hoary Elfin (Callophrys polios)
  • Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
  • Short-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio brevicauda gaspeensis)
  • Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Moths

  • Barrens Itame (Macaria exonerata; f. Itame sp. 1 nr inextricata, Speranza)
  • Bold-based Zale Moth (Zale lunifera; f. Z. sp. 1 nr. lunifera)
  • Eastern Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia maia)
  • Broad Sallow Moth (Xylotype capax)
  • Oblique Zale (Zale obliqua)
  • Red-winged Sallow (Xystopeplus rufago)
  • Similar Underwing (Catocala similis)

Damselflies

  • New England Bluet (Enallagma laterale)
  • Dusky Dancer (Argia translata)
  • Tule Bluet (Enallagma carunculatum)
  • Big Bluet (Enallagma durum)
  • Scarlet Bluet (Enallagma pictum)

Dragonflies

  • Canada Whiteface (Leucorrhinia patricia)
  • Southern Pygmy Clubtail (Lanthus vernalis)
  • Sedge Darner (Aeshna juncea)
  • Arrowhead Spiketail (Zoraena obliqua)
  • Swamp Darner (Epiaeschna heros)
  • Cobra Clubtail (Gomphurus vastus)
  • Pygmy Snaketail (Ophiogomphus howei)
  • Common Sanddragon (Progomphus obscurus)
  • Spatterdock Darner (Rhionaeschna mutata)
  • Ringed Emerald (Somatochlora albicincta)
  • Quebec Emerald (Somatochlora brevicincta)
  • Arrow Clubtail (Stylurus spiniceps)

Tiger Beetles

  • Appalachian Tiger Beetle (Cicindela ancocisconensis)

Flower Flie

  • Hourglass Drone Fly (Eristalis brousii)
  • Slosson's Pond Fly (Sericomyia slossonae)
  • Holarctic Bristleside (Parasyrphus tarsatus)

Snails

  • Bigmouth Pond Snail (Stagnicola mighelsi)
  • Malleated Vertigo (Vertigo malleata)

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Mammals

Carnivores

Bats

  • Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
  • Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis)
  • Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)
  • Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivigans)

Rodents

  • Penobscot Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus shattucki)

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Reptiles

  • Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)
  • Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus)

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