Alaska Species Ranking System – Alaska Center for Conservation Science

The Alaska Species Ranking System (ASRS) is a prioritization tool that assesses the conservation status of native vertebrates in Alaska. It was developed in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity (TED) Program. The goal of the ASRS is to provide detailed information on the conservation needs of Alaska’s wildlife to help the TED Program and their partners set priorities for wildlife conservation and inform Alaska’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The ASRS provides an objective way to rank all native vertebrates through a lens that is specific to Alaska, which helps to identify those that require the most focus in the SWAP. Such taxa are called Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN).

The ASRS was initially developed in the mid-2000s. In 2012, the first version of the ASRS was released. Ranks have been regularly updated since then and there have been changes to the ranking system as well. In 2022, staff at ACCS and ADF&G used updated ranks to assess the conservation status of small mammal species in Alaska. In 2025, the ranking system was revised; the ranks shown here reflect the most recent changes. Please fill out a Data Request Form if you would like a copy of the ASRS assessment for one or more taxa.

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Common Name	Scientific Name	Color Rank	Numerical Rank	Status Score	Biological Score	% Global Population
Alder Flycatcher	Empidonax alnorum	Red	II	6	-32	<25%
Aleutian Tern	Onychoprion aleuticus	Red	II	6	-21	<25%
American Dipper	Cinclus mexicanus	Yellow	IV	0	-38	<25%
American Golden-Plover	Pluvialis dominica	Yellow	IV	0	-33	25-74%
American Pipit	Anthus rubescens	Red	II	6	-32	<25%
American Redstart	Setophaga ruticilla	Orange	III	0	-14	<25%
American Three-Toed Woodpecker	Picoides dorsalis	Yellow	IV	0	-28	<25%
American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	Yellow	IV	0	-39	25-74%
Arctic Fox	Vulpes lagopus	Blue	VI	-11	-24	<25%
Arctic Loon	Gavia arctica	Orange	III	0	-10	<25%
Arctic Tern	Sterna paradisaea	Yellow	IV	0	-34	<25%
Arctic Warbler	Phylloscopus borealis	Yellow	IV	0	-32	<25%
Bank Swallow	Riparia riparia	Red	II	16	-32	<25%
Bar-Tailed Godwit (baueri)	Limosa lapponica baueri	Red	I	10	-12	Endemic
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Red	II	12	-20	<25%
Black Guillemot	Cepphus grylle	Red	I	10	20	<25%
Black Oystercatcher	Haematopus bachmani	Orange	III	0	11	25-74%
Black Swift	Cypseloides niger	Red	I	6	11	<25%
Black-Backed Woodpecker	Picoides arcticus	Yellow	IV	0	-18	<25%
Black-Bellied Plover	Pluvialis squatarola	Yellow	IV	0	-20	Unknown
Black-Capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Blue	VI	-6	-38	<25%
Black-Footed Albatross	Phoebastria nigripes	Blue	V	6	-14	25-74%
Black-Legged Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla	Red	II	5	-20	25-74%
Blackpoll Warbler	Setophaga striata	Red	II	10	-36	<25%
Bluethroat	Luscinia svecica	Yellow	IV	0	-32	<25%
Bohemian Waxwing	Bombycilla garrulus	Red	II	6	-28	<25%
Boreal Chickadee	Poecile hudsonicus	Blue	VI	-6	-35	<25%
Brambling	Fringilla montifringilla	Orange	III	0	16	<25%
Bristle-Thighed Curlew	Numenius tahitiensis	Yellow	IV	0	-22	≥75%
Brown Creeper	Certhia americana	Yellow	IV	0	-26	<25%
Brown Creeper (alascensis)	Certhia americana alascensis	Orange	III	0	-16	Endemic
Buff-Breasted Sandpiper	Calidris subruficollis	Red	I	12	-12	<25%
Buller's Shearwater	Ardenna bulleri	Orange	III	0	-13	<25%
Canada Jay	Perisoreus canadensis	Red	II	6	-38	<25%
Cassin's Auklet	Ptychoramphus aleuticus	Blue	VI	4	-22	<25%
Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Red	II	1	-35.5	<25%
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee	Poecile rufescens	Blue	VI	-6	-26	25-74%
Common Murre	Uria aalge	Blue	V	-11	-10	<25%
Common Raven (kamtschaticus)	Corvus corax kamtschaticus	Yellow	IV	0	-18	<25%
Dark-Eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	Blue	VI	-6	-36	25-74%
Dunlin	Calidris alpina	Red	II	5	-30	25-74%
Dunlin, Arctic	Calidris alpina arcticola	Red	I	16	-16	≥75%
Dunlin, Pacific	Calidris alpina pacifica	Blue	V	-11	-16	Endemic
Fork-Tailed Storm-Petrel (furcatus)	Hydrobates furcatus furcatus	Blue	V	4	-14	≥75%
Fork-Tailed Storm-Petrel (plumbeus)	Hydrobates furcatus plumbeus	Yellow	IV	0	-28	<25%
Fox Sparrow	Passerella iliaca	Blue	VI	-6	-38	25-74%
Fox Sparrow, Chilkat Sooty	Passerella iliaca chilcatensis	Yellow	IV	0	-20	Endemic
Fox Sparrow, Kodiak	Passerella iliaca insularis	Orange	III	0	-8	Endemic
Fox Sparrow, Shumagin	Passerella iliaca unalaschcensis	Yellow	IV	0	-20	Endemic
Fox Sparrow, Townsend's	Passerella iliaca townsendi	Blue	VI	-6	-20	≥75%
Fox Sparrow, Valdez	Passerella iliaca sinuosa	Yellow	IV	0	-20	Endemic
Fox Sparrow, Yakutat	Passerella iliaca annectens	Orange	III	0	-14	Endemic
Glaucous Gull	Larus hyperboreus	Blue	VI	-10	-32	25-74%
Glaucous-Winged Gull	Larus glaucescens	Yellow	IV	0	-29	25-74%
Golden-Crowned Kinglet	Regulus satrapa	Yellow	IV	0	-25	<25%
Golden-Crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	Yellow	IV	0	-38	≥75%
Gray-Cheeked Thrush	Catharus minimus	Red	II	6	-44	25-74%
Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finch	Leucosticte tephrocotis	Yellow	IV	0	-20	Unknown
Gray-Headed Chickadee (lathami)	Poecile cinctus lathami	Red	II	12	-20	Unknown
Gray-Tailed Tattler	Tringa brevipes	Orange	III	0	-5	<25%
Great Gray Owl	Strix nebulosa	Yellow	IV	0	-20	<25%
Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	Yellow	IV	0	-36	25-74%
Hermit Thrush	Catharus guttatus	Blue	VI	-11	-39	<25%
Herring Gull	Larus argentatus	Orange	III	0	-10	<25%
Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Red	II	6	-28	<25%
Horned Puffin	Fratercula corniculata	Yellow	IV	0	-22	≥75%
Iceland Gull (Includes Thayer's)	Larus glaucoides	Orange	III	0	-5	Unknown
Ivory Gull	Pagophila eburnea	Red	I	10	-6	<25%
Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Red	II	6	-20	<25%
Kittlitz's Murrelet	Brachyramphus brevirostris	Blue	VI	-3	-26	25-74%
Lapland Longspur	Calcarius lapponicus	Red	II	6	-38	Unknown
Laysan Albatross	Phoebastria immutabilis	Blue	V	4	-14	25-74%
Leach's Storm-Petrel (leucorhous)	Hydrobates leucorhous leucorhous	Red	II	0	-26	25-74%
Least Sandpiper	Calidris minutilla	Red	II	6	-33	25-74%
Lesser Yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes	Red	II	10	-36	25-74%
Long-Billed Dowitcher	Limnodromus scolopaceus	Yellow	IV	0	-36	Unknown
Long-Tailed Jaeger	Stercorarius longicaudus	Orange	III	0	-16	<25%
Macgillivray's Warbler	Geothlypis tolmiei	Orange	III	0	-9	<25%
Marbled Godwit (beringiae)	Limosa fedoa beringiae	Orange	III	0	4	Endemic
Marbled Murrelet	Brachyramphus marmoratus	Blue	VI	-5	-34	≥75%
Mckay's Bunting	Plectrophenax hyperboreus	Orange	III	0	-2	Endemic
Mottled Petrel	Pterodroma inexpectata	Yellow	IV	0	-26.5	<25%
Northern Fulmar	Fulmarus glacialis	Red	I	1	10	<25%
Northern Hawk-Owl	Surnia ulula	Yellow	IV	0	-22	<25%
Northern Shrike	Lanius borealis	Red	II	6	-26	25-74%
Northern Wheatear	Oenanthe oenanthe	Yellow	IV	0	-28	<25%
Olive-Sided Flycatcher	Contopus cooperi	Red	II	16	-32	<25%
Orange-Crowned Warbler	Leiothlypis celata	Yellow	IV	0	-31	25-74%
Pacific Golden-Plover	Pluvialis fulva	Yellow	IV	0	-30	<25%
Pacific Wren	Troglodytes pacificus	Yellow	IV	0	-36	25-74%
Pacific Wren, Attu	Troglodytes pacificus meligerus	Orange	III	0	8	Endemic
Pacific Wren, Kiska	Troglodytes pacificus kiskensis	Orange	III	0	0	Endemic
Pacific Wren, Kodiak	Troglodytes pacificus helleri	Orange	III	0	-14	Endemic
Pacific Wren, Pribilof	Troglodytes pacificus alascensis	Orange	III	0	10	Endemic
Pacific Wren, Semidi	Troglodytes pacificus semidiensis	Orange	III	0	12	Endemic
Parakeet Auklet	Aethia psittacula	Yellow	IV	0	-28	25-74%
Parasitic Jaeger	Stercorarius parasiticus	Yellow	IV	0	-27.2	Unknown
Pectoral Sandpiper	Calidris melanotos	Red	II	10	-30	25-74%
Pelagic Cormorant	Urile pelagicus	Yellow	IV	0	-17	25-74%
Pigeon Guillemot	Cepphus columba	Red	II	8	-34	25-74%
Pine Grosbeak	Pinicola enucleator	Blue	VI	-6	-44	<25%
Pine Siskin	Spinus pinus	Blue	VI	-6	-36	<25%
Pink-Footed Shearwater	Puffinus creatopus	Orange	III	0	-11	<25%
Pomarine Jaeger	Stercorarius pomarinus	Orange	III	0	0	<25%
Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	Yellow	IV	0	-32	<25%
Red Knot, Pacific	Calidris canutus roselaari	Red	I	6	2	25-74%
Red Phalarope	Phalaropus fulicarius	Red	II	6	-36	25-74%
Red-Breasted Sapsucker	Sphyrapicus ruber	Blue	VI	-10	-19	25-74%
Red-Faced Cormorant	Urile urile	Red	I	6	-11	Unknown
Red-Legged Kittiwake	Rissa brevirostris	Blue	V	-3	4	≥75%
Red-Necked Phalarope	Phalaropus lobatus	Red	II	6	-33	25-74%
Red-Necked Stint	Calidris ruficollis	Orange	III	0	2	<25%
Red-Throated Loon	Gavia stellata	Red	II	6	-22	<25%
Red-Throated Pipit	Anthus cervinus	Orange	III	0	2	<25%
Red-Winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	Red	II	6	-20	<25%
Redpoll	Acanthis flammea	Red	II	6	-38	<25%
Rock Ptarmigan, Evermann's	Lagopus muta evermanni	Red	I	12	-11	Endemic
Rock Ptarmigan, Townsend's	Lagopus muta townsendi	Orange	III	0	1	Endemic
Rock Ptarmigan, Turner's	Lagopus muta atkhensis	Orange	III	0	11	Endemic
Rock Sandpiper, Aleutian	Calidris ptilocnemis couesi	Yellow	IV	0	-24	Endemic
Rock Sandpiper, Bering Sea	Calidris ptilocnemis tschuktschorum	Yellow	IV	0	-24	≥75%
Rock Sandpiper, Pribilof	Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis	Orange	III	0	4	Endemic
Ross's Gull	Rhodostethia rosea	Yellow	IV	0	-38.2	≥75%
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (calendula)	Corthylio calendula calendula	Yellow	IV	0	-32	<25%
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet (grinnelli)	Corthylio calendula grinnelli	Blue	VI	-6	-20	25-74%
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	Yellow	IV	0	-34	<25%
Rufous Hummingbird	Selasphorus rufus	Red	II	10	-24	<25%
Rusty Blackbird	Euphagus carolinus	Blue	VI	-11	-38	<25%
Sabine's Gull	Xema sabini	Blue	VI	-10	-32	<25%
Sanderling	Calidris alba	Orange	III	0	-8	<25%
Savannah Sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	Red	II	6	-38	<25%
Semipalmated Sandpiper	Calidris pusilla	Blue	VI	-6	-40	<25%
Short-Billed Dowitcher (caurinus)	Limnodromus griseus caurinus	Red	II	6	-36	≥75%
Short-Billed Gull	Larus brachyrhynchus	Yellow	IV	0	-34	25-74%
Short-Tailed Shearwater	Puffinus tenuirostris	Red	II	6	-30	Unknown
Slaty-Backed Gull	Larus schistisagus	Orange	III	0	20	<25%
Smith's Longspur	Calcarius pictus	Yellow	IV	0	-26	<25%
Snow Bunting	Plectrophenax nivalis	Red	II	6	-36	<25%
Snow Bunting (townsendi)	Plectrophenax nivalis townsendi	Yellow	IV	0	-18	≥75%
Solitary Sandpiper (cinnamomea)	Tringa solitaria cinnamomea	Blue	VI	3	-24	≥75%
Song Sparrow, Aleutian	Melospiza melodia sanaka	Orange	III	0	-14	Endemic
Song Sparrow, Bischoff	Melospiza melodia insignis	Yellow	IV	0	-20	Unknown
Song Sparrow, Giant	Melospiza melodia maxima	Yellow	IV	0	-20	Endemic
Song Sparrow, Kenai	Melospiza melodia kenaiensis	Orange	III	0	-14	Endemic
Song Sparrow, Sooty	Melospiza melodia rufina	Yellow	IV	0	-20	≥75%
Song Sparrow, Yakutat	Melospiza melodia caurina	Orange	III	0	-14	Unknown
Sooty Shearwater	Puffinus griseus	Red	II	6	-26	<25%
Spotted Sandpiper	Actitis macularius	Blue	VI	-6	-37	25-74%
Spruce Grouse	Canachites canadensis	Red	II	0	-32	<25%
Stilt Sandpiper	Calidris himantopus	Red	II	6	-24	<25%
Surfbird	Calidris virgata	Yellow	IV	0	-17	≥75%
Thick-Billed Murre	Uria lomvia	Blue	V	-11	-10	25-74%
Townsend'S Warbler	Setophaga townsendi	Blue	VI	-6	-30	25-74%
Tree Swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	Red	II	16	-32	<25%
Tufted Puffin	Fratercula cirrhata	Yellow	IV	0	-22	≥75%
Upland Sandpiper	Bartramia longicauda	Yellow	IV	0	-30	<25%
Varied Thrush	Ixoreus naevius	Blue	VI	-6	-35	25-74%
Vaux's Swift	Chaetura vauxi	Red	I	6	6	<25%
Violet-Green Swallow	Tachycineta thalassina	Yellow	IV	0	-44	<25%
Wandering Tattler	Tringa incana	Yellow	IV	0	-24	25-74%
Western Sandpiper	Calidris mauri	Red	II	6	-24	≥75%
Western Wood-Pewee	Contopus sordidulus	Red	II	10	-30	<25%
Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus	Yellow	IV	0	-36	25-74%
Whiskered Auklet	Aethia pygmaea	Blue	V	2	-16	≥75%
White-Crowned Sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	Red	II	1	-24	25-74%
Willow Ptarmigan	Lagopus lagopus	Red	II	5	-32	<25%
Wilson's Snipe	Gallinago delicata	Yellow	IV	0	-36	<25%
Wilson's Warbler	Cardellina pusilla	Yellow	IV	0	-32	25-74%
Wood Sandpiper	Tringa glareola	Orange	III	0	-1	<25%
Yellow-Billed Loon	Gavia adamsii	Red	I	6	6	<25%
Yellow-Rumped Warbler	Setophaga coronata	Yellow	IV	0	-39	<25%

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