The Alaska Species Ranking System (ASRS) is a tool that ranks vertebrate taxa (mammals, birds, amphibians) according to their conservation concern in Alaska. It was developed in partnership with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program and is based on Florida’s Species Ranking System. Conservation concern is evaluated using 13 questions across three general categories:
- Status (2 questions, 20 points): Measures the trend (e.g. increasing, decreasing, stable) in a taxon’s population status and distribution. Higher status scores acknowledge that taxa with known declining trends are of concern regardless of current population or range size.
- Biological Vulnerability (7 questions, 50 points): Measures aspects of a taxon’s distribution, abundance and life history within the taxon’s geographic range in Alaska. Higher biological scores suggest greater vulnerability to extirpation, for example, because of small population size, low reproductive output, or specialized habitat requirements.
- Action (4 questions, 40 points): Qualifies the current state of knowledge and extent of conservation efforts directed toward a given taxon within Alaska. Higher scores denote greater information needs or conservation action
Looking for more?
Additional range maps are available from the Wildlife Data Portal. References cited in the Conservation Reports can be viewed on our online reference library. Can’t find the report you’re looking for? Reach out to us and we’ll do our best to help!
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Status Score | Biological Vulnerability Score | Action Score | ASRS Conservation Report | Range Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actitis macularius | Spotted Sandpiper | -6 | -37 | 12 |  |  |
| Anaxyrus boreas | Western Toad | 0 | -28 | 12 | | |
| Anser albifrons elgasi | Tule Greater White-fronted Goose | 0 | -2 | 4 | | |
| Arenaria melanocephala | Black Turnstone | -6 | -18 | 4 | | |
| Aythya affinis | Lesser Scaup | -5 | -34 | 0 | | |
| Bartramia longicauda | Upland Sandpiper | 0 | -30 | 12 | | |
| Brachyramphus brevirostris | Kittlitz's Murrelet | -3 | -26 | 0 | | |
| Brachyramphus marmoratus | Marbled Murrelet | -5 | -34 | -4 | | |
| Calidris alba | Sanderling | 0 | -8 | 20 | | |
| Calidris alpina arcticola | Dunlin (arcticola) | 16 | -16 | -16 | | |
| Calidris alpina pacifica | Dunlin (pacifica) | -11 | -16 | -8 | | |
| Calidris canutus | Red Knot | 6 | 2 | 12 | | |
| Calidris ptilocnemis couesi | Rock Sandpiper (couesi) | 0 | -24 | 12 | | |
| Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis | Rock Sandpiper (ptilocnemis) | 0 | 4 | 4 | | |
| Calidris ptilocnemis tschuktschorum | Rock Sandpiper (tschuktschorum) | 0 | -24 | 12 | | |
| Calidris subruficollis | Buff-breasted Sandpiper | 12 | -12 | 12 | | |
| Calidris virgata | Surfbird | 0 | -17 | 12 | | |
| Callorhinus ursinus | Northern Fur Seal | 8 | -6 | -20 | | |
| Cardellina pusilla | Wilson's Warbler | 0 | -32 | 4 | | |
| Catharus guttatus | Hermit Thrush | -11 | -39 | 0 | | |
| Catharus ustulatus | Swainson's Thrush | -6 | -39 | 0 | | |
| Certhia americana | Brown Creeper | 0 | -26 | 8 | | |
| Certhia americana alascensis | Brown Creeper (alascensis) | 0 | -16 | 8 | | |
| Certhia americana occidentalis | Brown Creeper (occidentalis) | -6 | -10 | 8 | | |
| Clangula hyemalis | Long-tailed Duck | 2 | -40 | 4 | | |
| Contopus sordidulus | Western Wood-Pewee | 10 | -30 | 12 | | |
| Corvus corax | Common Raven | -11 | -36 | -4 | | |
| Corvus corax kamtschaticus | Common Raven (kamtschaticus) | 0 | -18 | 16 | | |
| Corvus corax principalis | Common Raven (principalis) | -11 | -36 | -4 | | |
| Cyanocitta stelleri | Steller's Jay | -6 | -41 | 16 | | |
| Cygnus buccinator | Trumpeter Swan | -8 | -24 | 0 | | |
| Cypseloides niger | Black Swift | 6 | 11 | 24 | | |
| Dicrostonyx groenlandicus | Northern Collared Lemming | 0 | -32 | 24 | | |
| Empidonax difficilis | Pacific-slope Flycatcher | -6 | -25 | 0 | | |
| Enhydra lutris kenyoni | Northern Sea Otter, SW Alaska DPS | 4 | -30 | -12 | | |
| Erignathus barbatus | Bearded Seal | 6 | -30 | -16 | | |
| Eumetopias jubatus | Steller Sea Lion, Western DPS | 6 | -16 | 0 | | |
| Falco sparverius | American Kestrel | 6 | -28 | 24 | | |
| Fratercula cirrhata | Tufted Puffin | 0 | -22 | -4 | | |
| Fratercula corniculata | Horned Puffin | 0 | -22 | 4 | | |
| Geothlypis trichas | Common Yellowthroat | -6 | -24 | 16 | | |
| Glaucomys sabrinus | Northern Flying Squirrel | 0 | -27 | 24 | | |
| Haematopus bachmani | Black Oystercatcher | 0 | 11 | -4 | | |
| Ixoreus naevius | Varied Thrush | -6 | -35 | 12 | | |
| Junco hyemalis | Dark-eyed Junco | -6 | -36 | 0 | | |
| Junco hyemalis hyemalis | Dark-eyed Junco (hyemalis) | -6 | -36 | 0 | | |
| Junco hyemalis oreganus | Dark-eyed Junco (oreganus) | -6 | -20 | 0 | | |
| Lasionycteris noctivagans | Silver-haired Bat | 0 | -7 | 24 | | |
| Lepus othus | Alaska Hare | 0 | -38 | 4 | | |
| Limnodromus griseus | Short-billed Dowitcher | 6 | -36 | 12 | | |
| Limnodromus scolopaceus | Long-billed Dowitcher | 0 | -36 | 12 | | |
| Limosa fedoa | Marbled Godwit | 0 | 4 | 12 | | |
| Limosa haemastica | Hudsonian Godwit | -6 | -17 | -4 | | |
| Limosa lapponica baueri | Bar-tailed Godwit | 10 | -12 | 4 | | |
| Lithobates sylvaticus | Wood Frog | 0 | -30 | 24 | | |
| Melanitta americana | Black Scoter | 2 | -16 | 0 | | |
| Melanitta fusca | White-winged Scoter | -3 | -28 | 4 | | |
| Microtus longicaudus | Long-tailed Vole | 0 | -38 | 32 | | |
| Microtus miurus | Singing Vole | 0 | -32 | 24 | | |
| Microtus oeconomus | Root Vole | 0 | -38 | 24 | | |
| Microtus pennsylvanicus | Meadow Vole | 0 | -44 | 32 | | |
| Microtus xanthognathus | Yellow-cheeked Vole | 0 | -38 | 32 | | |
| Myodes rutilus | Northern Red-backed Vole | 0 | -38 | -8 | | |
| Myotis californicus | California Myotis | 0 | -7 | 24 | | |
| Myotis evotis | Long-eared Bat (Keen's Myotis) | 0 | -7 | 24 | | |
| Myotis lucifugus | Little Brown Myotis | 0 | -25 | 16 | | |
| Myotis volans | Long-legged Myotis | 0 | 3 | 40 | | |
| Numenius phaeopus | Whimbrel | 0 | -36 | 12 | | |
| Numenius tahitiensis | Bristle-thighed Curlew | 0 | -22 | 12 | | |
| Ochotona collaris | Collared Pika | 0 | -23 | 4 | | |
| Onychoprion aleuticus | Aleutian Tern | 6 | -21 | 4 | | |
| Passerella iliaca | Fox Sparrow | -6 | -38 | 4 | | |
| Perisoreus canadensis | Gray Jay | 6 | -38 | 16 | | |
| Phalaropus fulicarius | Red Phalarope | 6 | -36 | 12 | | |
| Phalaropus lobatus | Red-necked Phalarope | 6 | -33 | 12 | | |
| Phoca largha | Spotted Seal | 6 | -30 | -16 | | |
| Phoca vitulina | Harbor Seal | 10 | -30 | -20 | | |
| Pluvialis dominica | American Golden-Plover | 0 | -33 | 12 | | |
| Pluvialis fulva | Pacific Golden-Plover | 0 | -30 | 12 | | |
| Poecile atricapillus | Black-capped Chickadee | -6 | -38 | 16 | | |
| Poecile cinctus | Gray-headed Chickadee | 12 | -20 | 40 | | |
| Poecile hudsonicus | Boreal Chickadee | -6 | -35 | 16 | | |
| Pusa hispida | Ringed Seal | 0 | -32 | -16 | | |
| Rana luteiventris | Columbia Spotted Frog | 0 | -19 | 24 | | |
| Regulus calendula calendula | Ruby-crowned Kinglet (calendula) | 0 | -32 | 16 | | |
| Regulus calendula grinnelli | Ruby-crowned Kinglet (grinnelli) | -6 | -20 | 12 | | |
| Regulus satrapa | Golden-crowned Kinglet | 0 | -25 | 16 | | |
| Rissa brevirostris | Red-legged Kittiwake | -3 | 4 | -4 | | |
| Rissa tridactyla | Black-legged Kittiwake | -1 | -20 | -16 | | |
| Selasphorus rufus | Rufous Hummingbird | 10 | -24 | 16 | | |
| Setophaga ruticilla | American Redstart | 0 | -14 | 8 | | |
| Somateria spectabilis | King Eider | -3 | -10 | 4 | | |
| Sorex cinereus | Cinereus Shrew | 0 | -42 | 32 | | |
| Sorex hoyi | Pygmy Shrew | 0 | -38 | 32 | | |
| Sorex jacksoni | St. Lawrence Island Shrew | 0 | 8 | 32 | | |
| Sorex navigator | Western Water Shrew | 0 | -30 | 40 | | |
| Sorex obscurus | Dusky Shrew | 0 | -38 | 32 | | |
| Sorex pribilofensis | Pribilof Island Shrew | 0 | 14 | 32 | | |
| Sorex tundrensis | Tundra Shrew | 0 | -38 | 32 | | |
| Sorex ugyunak | Barren Ground Shrew | 0 | -32 | 32 | | |
| Sphyrapicus ruber | Red-breasted Sapsucker | -10 | -19 | -8 | | |
| Sterna paradisaea | Arctic Tern | 0 | -34 | -16 | | |
| Surnia ulula | Northern Hawk-Owl | 0 | -22 | 16 | | |
| Synaptomys borealis | Northern Bog Lemming | -5 | -23 | 32 | | |
| Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | Red Squirrel | 0 | -34 | 0 | | |
| Tringa flavipes | Lesser Yellowlegs | 10 | -36 | 4 | | |
| Tringa incana | Wandering Tattler | 0 | -24 | 12 | | |
| Tringa solitaria | Solitary Sandpiper | 3 | -24 | 4 | | |
| Troglodytes pacificus | Pacific Wren | 3 | -36 | 4 | | |
| Urocitellus parryii | Arctic Ground Squirrel | 0 | -40 | 24 | | |
| Ursus maritimus | Polar Bear | 18 | -6 | -32 | | |