Species at Risk in Ontario

In Canada, more than 450 wild animal and plant species are considered “at risk” according to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Species in Canada (COSEWIC). Nearly 40 percent of these species are found in Ontario. Some urban and rural activities, including expanding residential development, pose significant threats to Ontario’s wildlife. Natural habitats that are under the most intense pressure are forests, grasslands, wetlands, and the Great Lakes and their watersheds. The Carolinian ecozone in south-western Ontario is perhaps the most wildlife-rich area in the country; yet, it is also home to about one-third of the nation’s Species at Risk.

What’s at risk here?

Currently, there are 465 Species at Risk in Canada according to COSEWIC. Ontario is home to 173 of these species, the highest percentage of Species at Risk among the regions. Ontario is followed closely by British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.

They need habitat to live

Clear Creek Forest, Cochrane Woods / James Duncan, Nature Conservancy of Canada

Ontario has the most concentrated human population in Canada. In southern Ontario, where most of the people live, there is significant pressure on natural habitats. In some areas, this pressure has displaced many wild plants and animals.

Like people, wildlife are subject to a variety of threats throughout their life cycle. Today, most stressors for wildlife are directly related to human activities – in urban, suburban and rural areas. The most serious danger to wildlife may arise from the “snowballing” impact of several threats, such as the loss of wild spaces, environmental pollution and climate change. The good news is that southern Ontario’s many people can play a significant role in the preservation and rehabilitation of natural habitats. Everyone can make an effort to learn how to better co-exist with wildlife – at home, work or school – and help to reverse the tragic decline of wild populations. It’s about preserving, connecting and revitalizing wildlife habitat.

Ontario’s ecology

Ontario is ecologically diverse and provides an extensive range of habitat for wild species, from the Carolinian forests in the south to the vast fens and bogs scattered through the boreal forests of the north. Of the 167 nationally listed species found in Ontario, 68% are found nowhere else in Canada. Some 80 percent of these species are found in Ontario as northern range limits for the species, with the majority of those populations found in the United States.

Species richness in Ontario

Report sightings

Have you seen a rare species? Report your sighting to the Canadian Wildlife Service. Call 1-866-833-8888 (toll-free in Canada). Please leave a message with your name and telephone number, and as much specific information about the sighting as possible.