Common name: White-winged Grasshopper

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Dissosteira spurcata

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: This grasshopper is associated with arid shrub-steppe in the intermountain west. It reaches its northern limit in the southern Okanagan Valley. Within its Canadian range, it is highly localized and has been recently recorded at only two sites. One is a Haynes Lease Wildlife Area at the north end of Osoyoos Lake and the other is a parcel of crown land on the west side of Osoyoos. While the wildlife area is secure, the crown land is under pressure for annexation and development by the town of Osoyoos. It is currently used for off-road driving and hiking. The species could also occur on the east side of Osoyoos Lake on the Osoyoos Indian Reserve. This would not greatly change the status of the species.

Common name: Arctic Orangebush Lichen

Taxonomic group: Lichens

Scientific name: Xanthaptychia aurantiaca

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Northwest Territories, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Xanthaptychia aurantiaca is narrowly restricted to western portions of the Canadian Arctic. It is a relatively large bright orange macrolichen that is conspicuous on the landscape. However, there are only 14 known collections. The region has been thoroughly surveyed for lichens (see map under Search Effort), with over 6600 lichens collections known. This suggests that X. aurantiaca is not only narrowly endemic, but also rare within its range. All collections are coastal. Most collections have been made on Banks Island and the Parry Peninsula in the Northwest Territories. This species is threatened by a loss of habitat from rapidly eroding coasts, saline wash resulting from storm surges, and permafrost melting. These threats are due to a reduction in sea ice cover on the Beaufort Sea and changes in weather patterns caused by on-going climate change.

Common name: Horned Lark

Taxonomic group: Birds

Scientific name: Eremophila alpestris

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Alberta, Alsek Renewable Resources Council, British Columbia, Canadian Museum of Nature, Carmacks Renewable Resources Council, Carcross/Tagish Renewable Resources Council, Canadian Wildlife Service, Dawson District Renewable Resources Council, Dän Keyi Renewable Resources Council, Eeyou Marine Region Wildlife Board, Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board, Laberge Renewable Resources Council, Manitoba, Mayo District Renewable Resources Council, New Brunswick, Nisga'a Joint Fisheries Management Committee, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut Territory, Nisga'a Wildlife Committee, Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, North Yukon Renewable Resources Council, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency, Porcupine Caribou Management Board, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, Selkirk Renewable Resources Council, Teslin Renewable Resources Council, Torngat Wildlife and Plants Co-management Board, Wildlife Management Advisory Council - North Slope, Wildlife Management Advisory Council - Northwest Territories, Wekeezhii Renewable Resources Board, Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, Yukon Territory

Proposed call for bids date: 2022

Rationale: Horned Lark is a Holarctic landbird that occurs in Canada's tundra and prairie grasslands, and other open landscapes from seaside barrens to above the alpine tree-line. One of the eight subspecies that occur in Canada, Streaked Horned Lark, was assessed by COSEWIC as Endangered in 2003 and 2018; the other seven are considered here. Horned Lark subspecies differ in range, body size and colouration. Most subspecies have populations estimated at >1 million mature individuals in Canada, but Pallid Horned Lark and Dusky Horned Lark may have only 15,000 to 20,000 mature individuals each. Overall, the Canadian population of Horned Lark is estimated to be about 28 million mature individuals. After apparent increases in the late 1800s, most populations have declined continuously since the 1940s, with loss of marginal agricultural areas and intensification of agriculture in breeding areas, and loss of native grassland habitat negatively affecting populations on both breeding and wintering grounds. Population estimates and trends are difficult to determine for individual subspecies, and appear to vary substantially. However, at the national level, Breeding Bird Survey data for Horned Lark show a long-term (1970-2018) decline of 89% (95% credible interval: -91%, -86%), corresponding to a trend of -4.4% per year (-4.9%, -4.0%), with a short-term (2008-2018) decline of -58% (-64%, -52%), corresponding to an annual trend of -8.4% (-9.7%, -7.0%).

Common name: Lupine Leafroller Moth

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Anacampsis lupinella

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Lupine Leafroller Moth (Anacampsis lupinella) ranges in southern Ontario within the dry, open oak woodland, pitch pine-scrub oak barrens where the host plant, Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) is present. Wild Lupine is also at-risk and ranked vulnerable (N2N3) in Canada and Ontario (S2S3). Records date from 1901 - 2017 and the species is known from High Park (Toronto), the St. Williams Conservation Reserve (and a nearby private property, both in Norfolk County), and in the Karner Blue Sanctuary( Lambton County). An additional subpopulation may be present in/around Pinery Provincial Park, where a moderate-sized wild lupine population persists. Threats include invasive species that are changing the ecosystem and impacting the host plans, pesticide spray to control non-native Gypsy Moth outbreaks, and habitat conversion and fragmentation.

Common name: Oslar's Roadside Skipper

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Amblyscirtes oslari

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Alberta, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Saskatchewan

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Oslar's Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes oslari) is a dry, mixed grass prairies, open woodlands, ravines, and canyons prairie butterfly with a restricted range in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Adults fly from May to July, there is one generation per season and the larvae feed on blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) or other grasses. The species is known from eight sites: Lethbridge (AB), Writing-on-stone Provincial Park (AB), Taber (AB), North Pinhorn Grazing Preserve (AB), Estuary (SK), Val Marie (SK), Deer Forks (SK) and Roche Percee (SK). Widespread habitat conversion during the early 1900s and the loss of Plains Bison contributed to the loss of prairie grassland habitat suitable for this species. Current threats include agricultural intensification, habitat fragmentation and lack of connectivity between natural grassland fragments, invasive plants that change soil chemistry and/or outcompete native larval and nectar host plants, and roadside/agricultural pesticide use. There are currently no Canadian records on iNaturalist, BugGuide or other citizen science/online forums.

Common name: Pahaska Skipper

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Hesperia pahaska

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Manitoba, Parks Canada Agency, Saskatchewan

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Pahaska Skipper (Hesperia pahaska) is a dry, mixed grass prairie and open pine forest butterfly with a restricted range in southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Adults fly from June to July, with one generation per season in Canada and larvae feed on blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), with fluff grass (Erioneuron pulchellum) also reported as a host plant in other parts of its US range. Records are from 1928 to 2009 from five sites including Surprise Valley (SK), Rosefield (SK), Minton (1928, SK), Grasslands National Park (SK) and Miniota (MB). Widespread habitat conversion during the early 1900's and the loss of Plains Bison contributed to the loss of prairie grassland habitat suitable for this species. Current threats include agricultural intensification, habitat fragmentation and lack of connectivity between natural grassland fragments, invasive plants that change and/or outcompete native larval and nectar host plants, and roadside/agricultural pesticide use. There are currently no Canadian records on iNaturalist, BugGuide or other citizen science/online forums.

Common name: Paintedhand Mudbug

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Lacunicambarus polychromatus

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date: 2022

Rationale: The Paintedhand Mudbug (Lacunicambarus polychromatus) is a burrowing crayfish known in Canada from one subpopulation in Windsor, Ontario. This freshwater species excavates its own burrows in low-lying habitats close to the water table, including the banks and floodplains of lakes and rivers, roadside ditches, and wetlands. The life history is poorly known although the species consumes both plant material and animals such as insects and worms, seizing passing prey from the mouth of their burrows. Threats include a any form of development that impacts wetland longevity, quality and sustainability: wetland habitat infilling, conversion, water diversion (to wetlands), pesticide/wastewater/roadside salt run-off.

Common name: Simius Roadside Skipper

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Notamblyscirtes simius

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Saskatchewan

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Simius Roadside-Skipper (Notamblyscirtes simius) is a mixed grass prairie butterfly with a restricted range in southern Saskatchewan. Adults fly from May to July, there is one generation per season and the larvae feed on blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis). The species is known from three sites in southern Saskatchewan including Rosefeld (1968), Val Marie (1983) and an unknown collection locality that needs further investigation. There are no known documented occurrences in Canada since at least 1998. Widespread habitat conversion during the early 1900's and the loss of Plains Bison contributed to the loss of prairie grassland habitat suitable for this species. Current threats include agricultural intensification, habitat fragmentation and lack of connectivity between natural grassland fragments, invasive plants that change and/or outcompete native larval and nectar host plants, and roadside/agricultural pesticide use. There are currently no Canadian records on iNaturalist, BugGuide or other citizen science/online forums.

Common name: Bermuda Petrel

Taxonomic group: Birds

Scientific name: Pterodroma cahow

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Atlantic Ocean, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Nova Scotia, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Bermuda Petrel or Cahow is a small gadfly petrel and one of the world's rarest seabirds. Once thought to be extinct, 8 pairs were found nesting on the Castle Harbour islands in Bermuda in 1951. Numbers have increased to 134 pairs in 2020, in response to intensive conservation and management efforts, with about 80% now nesting in artificial burrows. Recent telemetry tracking studies have shown that Bermuda Petrel regularly forages over deep waters within the Canadian 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone southeast of Nova Scotia, during incubation and chick-rearing periods in April and May. Significant threats at the Bermudan breeding colonies include competition with native White-tailed Tropicbird for nest sites, effects of pesticides, and predation by introduced rats. The primary threat is posed by increasing frequency and intensity of fall storms that periodically inundate colonies and destroy low-lying nest sites, exacerbated by ongoing sea level rise. Threats at sea are poorly known, but likely include lighting on ships and structures, offshore wind power development, and climate-related range shifts in prey species.

Common name: Canadian Philaronia

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Philaronia canadensis

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date: 2022

Rationale: The Canadian Philaronia is a spittle bug historically known from a small area of distribution in the Great Lakes region where it occurs in southern Ontario and northern Michigan. There are only 5 confirmed records in the Great Lakes region since 1989. The species was once widespread in Southern Ontario and Michigan, and the number of known subpopulations in Ontario has declined from 15 to 5. The species is found along the shores of lakes and rivers in meadow habitat and its host plants are the goldenrods, Solidago canadensis and Solidago ohioensis, as well as Lindley's Aster, Symphyotrichum ciliolatum and White Snakeroot, Ageratina altissima. Fieldwork is required to confirm sites within the Great Lakes region.

Common name: Marbled Godwit

Taxonomic group: Birds

Scientific name: Limosa fedoa

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Alberta, British Columbia, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Manitoba, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency, Quebec, Saskatchewan

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: The Marbled Godwit is a large shorebird that nests in three disjunct areas; by far the largest population in the grasslands and parklands of the northern Great Plains (~170,000 mature individuals, 60% of which are in Canada), with two small, disjunct nesting populations in Alaska and James Bay (~2,000 mature individuals each). Data from the Breeding Bird Survey for the well-monitored midcontinent population indicate a decline of 42% over the past three generations, with the annual rate of decline accelerating to -4.5% over the past decade. Threats underlying this decline are not well known, although the rapid pace of grassland loss, as well as wetland drainage, are likely key factors. Threats on migration and in overwintering areas include the loss of wetland habitat, collisions with power lines and other infrastructure, human disturbance, contamination (including oil spills), climate-change and sea-level rise.

Common name: Plains Spadefoot

Taxonomic group: Amphibians

Scientific name: Spea bombifrons

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Alberta, Canadian Wildlife Service, Manitoba, Parks Canada Agency, Saskatchewan

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Plains Spadefoot has patchy distribution throughout the dry interior of North America, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Historically, the species was presumably widespread in native grasslands throughout the Canadian prairies. These habitats have experienced up to 77% loss throughout the 20th century, mostly due to conversion to agriculture. Loss of grasslands continues, primarily due to fire suppression and grazing regimes that allow vegetation succession to proceed. The species is vulnerable to prolonged summer droughts because it breeds in shallow pools that are subject to drying, leading to periodic failures to produce surviving young. While the species is adapted to predictably variable arid environments, disruption of climatic patterns, combined with intensive agriculture and road networks that constrain dispersal, is likely to result in population declines.

Common name: Rufous Hummingbird

Taxonomic group: Birds

Scientific name: Selasphorus rufus

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Alberta, British Columbia, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Yukon Territory

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Rufous Hummingbird remains common throughout its range, with a Canadian population estimate of 12 million mature individuals, comprising 54% of the global total. However, it has experienced a long-term population decline, which has been accelerating recently, with an estimated loss of 31% of the Canadian population between 2009 and 2019. Although causes of the decline remain only partly understood, recent research indicates that pesticides and habitat degradation associated with climate change are increasing threats. As a long-distance migrant, Rufous Hummingbird requires high-quality habitat across multiple areas for breeding, migratory stopovers, and wintering. Consequently, threats are repeatedly encountered over their annual life cycle, increasing their cumulative impact on populations.

Common name: Atlantic Mackerel

Taxonomic group: Marine fishes

Scientific name: Scomber scombrus

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Atlantic Ocean, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date: 2023

Rationale: Atlantic Mackerel is found in the waters of the Northwest Atlantic from North Carolina to Newfoundland. During spring and summer, Atlantic Mackerel is found in inshore waters. From late fall and in winter, it is found deeper in warmer waters at the edge of the continental shelf. In Canadian waters, spawning occurs mainly in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence during June and July. Atlantic Mackerel have declined about 80% since the late 1990s. Overfishing is considered the main threat.

Common name: Chinook Salmon

Taxonomic group: Marine fishes

Scientific name: Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Arctic Ocean, British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Northwest Territories, Parks Canada Agency, Pacific Ocean, Yukon Territory

Proposed call for bids date: 2018

Rationale: These DUs are in the Skeena and Nass River drainage areas. They are an anadromous species that migrate to sea and return to spawn in natal rivers. Preliminary Predictions based on current data are as follows: Four of the DUs with complete data are ENDANGERED and the fifth is THREATENED. DUs with incomplete data are all ENDANGERED. Two DUs are data deficient. Major threats may exist and vary according to the diversity of habitat used over the Chinook salmon life cycle: (1) Estuary and (2) Coastal areas are subject to possible threats, for example, from pollution, fisheries, and pinniped predation; (3) High Seas area are subject to possible threats, for example, from competition with other salmon species and changes in ocean productivity and (4) Freshwater habitats are exposed to threats within watershed areas, for example, from habitat degradation, dams, and landslides. Skeena Chinook are a high priority species because DUs has been defined, estimated declines are large, and data are readily available, though likely requires some review. It is also in the same geographic region as Skeena Sockeye which are also subject to similar declines, data availability, and threats.

Common name: Hibernian Jellyskin

Taxonomic group: Lichens

Scientific name: Leptogium hibernicum

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Nova Scotia, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: Leptogium hibernicum is a leafy epiphytic cyanolichen of temperate humid to hyperhumid oceanic/montane occurrence usually inhabiting stands of mature to old deciduous trees with neutral to basic and frequently moss-covered bark. In Nova Scotia, Canada, it also occurs on cedar (Thuja occidentalis). This species requires continual high humidity and moderate temperatures. The known locations are either within 25 kms of the coast and are usually somewhat sheltered by topography or existing forest stands.

Common name: Indra Swallowtail subspecies

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Papilio indra indra

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: The Indra Swallowtail is a large, striking butterfly that is restricted in Canada to the Cascade Mountains of southern British Columbia; they are known at present from only three sites. The larvae feed on the foliage of biscuitroots and perhaps other members of the carrot family that grow on sunny, south facing subalpine slopes. The species' extremely small range makes it vulnerable to catastrophic events such as wildfires, which are predicted to increase in size and intensity with climate change. The warming climate may also cause some loss of open subalpine meadows through an increase in tree and shrub cover.

Common name: Mouse Ears

Taxonomic group: Lichens

Scientific name: Erioderma sorediatum

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: Mouse Ears is a rare cyanolichens restricted to coastal forests. In British Columbia, it is found in four subpopulations in 5-10 locations. However some of the occurrences have not been visited for several decades. The small number of locations and the very low density of thalli found at these locations despite substantial search efforts over the last few decades suggest that this species is very rare in coastal British Columbia and could be getting rarer due to threats. In addition, this species lives on ephemeral habitats and are subject to significant threats such as logging, climate warming (heat dome of 2021), and cabin development and other anthropogenic activities along the coast-line. As a result of this information it is recommended that Erioderma sorediatum be seriously considered for an official priority status assessment.

Common name: Sockeye Salmon

Taxonomic group: Marine fishes

Scientific name: Oncorhynchus nerka

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Arctic Ocean, British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Northwest Territories, Parks Canada Agency, Pacific Ocean, Yukon Territory

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: These DUs are in the Skeena and Nass River drainage areas. They are an anadromous species that migrate to sea and return to spawn in natal rivers. Nass-Skeena Sockeye are a high priority species because populations have been defined, and observed declines coupled with small population numbers indicate considerable extinction risk. They are also in the same geographic region as Skeena Chinook which are also subject to similar declines, data availability, and threats. Major threats may exist and vary according to the diversity of habitat used over the Sockeye salmon life cycle: (1) Estuary and (2) Coastal areas are subject to possible threats, for example, from pollution, fisheries, and pinniped predation. (3) High Seas area are subject to possible threats, for example, from competition with other salmon species and changes in ocean productivity. (4) Freshwater habitats are exposed to threats within watershed areas, for example, from habitat degradation, dams, and landslides.

Common name: Western Spotted Skunk

Taxonomic group: Terrestrial mammals

Scientific name: Spilogale gracilis

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date: 2022

Rationale: Western Spotted Skunk in Canada is only found in the southwestern corner of British Columbia. The species is thought to be a habitat generalist, but in BC is found predominantly across deciduous and coniferous forest, riparian areas, and agricultural lands. Although the species is historically rare in Canada, anecdotal fur-trapping records suggest that the species was more common in southwestern BC during the 1950s and 1960s. A number of recent camera-trap studies from across the historical distribution in Canada suggest that the species is now very rare, being found only infrequently. The major threat is habitat loss associated with residential development. Trapping and road mortality could be continuing threats.

Common name: Black-edged Sedge

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Carex nigromarginata

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: A long-lived perennial sedge of dry, sandy, oak woods first discovered in Ontario in 1980 on Long Point and still only known in Canada from one location. The number of plants is currently estimated to be between 100 and 200, although the there has never been a full census completed and it is likely additional plants will be found. The actual number of individuals may be much less than the number of plants however, because the species is rhizomatous and reproduces clonally. Threats include succession and forest mesification leading to more closed canopies favouring shade-tolerant understories and reduced areas of well-lit forest floor microhabitat.

Common name: Cranefly Orchid

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Tipularia discolor

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: A single small population restricted to mature mesic forests in the Carolinian Zone. The Canadian population currently consists of two individuals in a small remnant old-growth deciduous forest on the Norfolk Sandplain. Its habitat is surrounded by intensive agriculture and is at risk from stochastic events such as severe storm events. Threats include continued habitat alteration and loss, as well as trampling from orchid enthusiasts and probably browsing by over-abundant deer populations.

Common name: Fitch's Elephanthopper

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Fitchiella Robertsoni

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: Fitch's Elephanthopper is only associated with native grassland remnants in the eastern United States and Canada, a rare and at-risk ecosystem. It is considered rare and intensely local range-wide, with only approximately 12 populations known in the world prior to 2000 (Bess 2005). It is only known from two locations in southern Ontario and appears to be extremely local in its distribution. Other suitable habitats have been well surveyed, and the species has gone undetected, although this species would benefit from additional targeted search effort in a few key habitats. Habitat succession, invasive species and recreational use of habitats are a current and ongoing threat.

Common name: Flat Dome

Taxonomic group: Molluscs

Scientific name: Ventridens suppressus

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: This is a medium-size, but distinctive species. The about 100 years old records are from the Hamilton area. Despite large search effort the species hasn't been found in southern Ontario. This species lives in mesic, rocky upland woods. It is possible that Niagara Escarpment has suitable habitat for this species that still needs to be searched. If the species is still extant in Canada, all threats that reduce habitat quantity and quality are possible, with severity being up to extreme. Threats also include climate change, trampling, and invasive species.

Common name: Giant Candlewax

Taxonomic group: Lichens

Scientific name: Ricasolia amplissima subsp. sheiyi

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: Giant Candlewax Lichen is a large tree-dwelling lichen that forms a symbiosis with both algae and cyanobacteria. It forms large thalli up to a half metre in diameter that are bright white when dry and green when wet. Giant Candlewax Lichen is found disjunct in Europe and western North America. The western North American population is genetically distinct and has been named as an endemic subspecies; the Canadian lichens belong to this subspecies. Giant Candlewax Lichen grows on highly exposed, light-rich trunks of old growth Sitka Spruce in close proximity to coastal shorelines in Alaska and British Columbia. The only verified locality in Canada is in an area with extensive coastal logging, limited buffers, and no formal protection status. Its large size and colour makes it unmistakable.

Common name: Greater Yellowlegs

Taxonomic group: Birds

Scientific name: Tringa melanoleuca

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: Greater Yellowlegs is a familiar shorebird that breeds in bogs across Canada's boreal zone, and winters from the southern coasts of the United States southward, including the Caribbean and South America. Although still relatively common, recent analyses of standardized shorebird surveys show that Greater Yellowlegs has likely declined by 43% over the past three generations (15 years). This species' wide range and long migration exposes it to a wide variety of threats across many countries. It is unclear which threats account for the species' decline, but they likely include hunting through much of the winter range, and wetland habitat loss and degradation throughout the migration and winter range.

Common name: Harp Seal

Taxonomic group: Marine mammals

Scientific name: Phoca groenlandica

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Newfoundland and Labrador, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: Harp Seal is distributed over continental shelf areas of the North Atlantic; in summer their range extends into Arctic waters. Three populations are recognized, but only the Northwest Atlantic population, which accounts for 76% of the world population occurs in Canadian waters. All populations recovered after implementation of conservation measures in the 1970s, but all have shown declines over the last 20-50 years. Harp Seals are harvested commercially and for subsistence, but current harvests are well below sustainable levels. Declines in quality and quantity of the seasonal pack ice which are essential for breeding and changes in food resources are thought to be impacting this species. The outlook under climate change is for continued deterioration in ice cover, which will negatively impact this species, because they have shown no signs of using terrestrial sites for hauling out or pupping. Over the longer term there may be a northward shift in distribution of pupping and molting areas as the ice contracts northwards, but this may also lead to increased natural mortality if it results in increased overlap with an important predator, Polar Bear. This species has never been assessed by COSEWIC.

Common name: Hooded Seal

Taxonomic group: Marine mammals

Scientific name: Cystophora cristata

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Nunavut Territory, Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: The Hooded Seal is distributed over continental shelf break areas of the North Atlantic; in summer their range extends into Arctic waters. A single population is recognized, but has been divided into two management stocks, based on the location of the whelping areas-the NE and N Atlantic stocks. The NW Atlantic stock accounts for 85% of the population but only spends approximately half the year in Canadian waters. The NW Atlantic stock has not been assessed since 2006, when it was estimated at 600,000 animals. The NE Atlantic stock was assessed in 2017 at 80,000 animals. Herds in all areas are thought to be declining. The NE Atlantic stock appears to be declining at a rate of 1-2% per year. Hooded Seals are harvested for subsistence in Greenland. Adults can be hunted commercially in the NW Atlantic, but few if any animals are taken. Declines in quality and quantity of the seasonal pack ice which are essential for breeding and changes in food resources are thought to be impacting this species. The outlook under climate change is for continued deterioration in ice cover, which will negatively impact this species, because they have shown no signs of using terrestrial sites for hauling out or pupping. Over the longer term there may be a northward shift in distribution of pupping and molting areas as the ice contracts northwards, but this may also lead to increased natural mortality if it results in increased overlap with an important predator Polar Bear. This species was last assessed as not at risk by COSEWIC in 1986.

Common name: Klaza Draba

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Draba bruce-bennettii

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Yukon Territory

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: Klaza Draba is a small, long-lived, cushion forming mustard endemic to Canada where it is known from Langham and Tritop mountains in southwestern Yukon. It has been found in rocky tundra on unglaciated volcanic (andesite) bedrock dominated by moss and lichens amongst mountain avens / arctic willow tundra. Most of the global population occurs on Langham Mountain where the full extent of the population is not known. At Tritop Mountain the habitat is restricted to a small area (<2 km2) that has been disturbed by exploration activities in the past and the remaining habitat is subject to shrubification. The Langham subpopulation covers a larger area but is subject to the same threats. Most of the surrounding habitat is forested or covered in shrubs making it unsuitable for this species.

Common name: Northern Beebandit

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Megaphorus willistoni

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: This robber fly is restricted in Canada to the hottest grasslands of the southern Okanagan and Similkameen valleys, where it is apparently sparse. It mimics leafcutter bees, and apparently hunts these and other bees and wasps around grassland flowers. The major threats within the small range are probably habitat loss to agricultural and urban development, and (perhaps in the short term) increased fires in a fragmented landscape.

Common name: Northern Desert Fly

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Apiocera barri

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: The Northern Desert Fly is a large, distinctive fly restricted to the southern Okanagan Valley in Canada, where it occurs almost exclusively in the endangered antelope-brush/needle-and-thread grass community. The area of this habitat continues to decline at about 2% annually.

Common name: Plains Rough Fescue

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Festuca hallii

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Alberta, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Manitoba, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency, Saskatchewan

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: Plains rough fescue is among the dominant species of native grassland communities in fescue prairies, which historically formed a band in the northern prairies, south of the transition to boreal forest. An estimated 95% of these communities have been lost due to fire suppression, conversion of land to agricultural production, and other development (residential/industrial/transportation). As a slow-growing, late successional and long-lived species, plains rough fescue is threatened by aggressive invasive species, particularly perennial, rhizomatous grasses, which readily establish on the rich soils of the fescue grasslands. Furthermore, climate change is expected to bring warmer, drier conditions to the Canadian prairies, pushing the climatic envelope of plains rough fescue well to the north.

Common name: Ravenfoot Sedge

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Carex crus-corvi

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

Proposed call for bids date:

Rationale: A perennial sedge of wet depressions in lowland deciduous woods and seasonally flooded alluvial forests first discovered in Ontario in 1985 in Essex and Lambton counties. The current Canadian population is estimated to be about 100 plants, although some additional suitable habitat remains to be surveyed. Threats are not well documented but likely include invasive species and declines in habitat quality.

Common name: Rough-skinned Newt

Taxonomic group: Amphibians

Scientific name: Taricha granulosa

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: Rough-skinned newts are found on the west coast of British Columbia. They produce a powerful neurotoxin, which is a very effective defence against bird and mammalian predators. Their primary threats are habitat destruction from logging, emerging infectious diseases (Bd and Bsal), and climate change.

Common name: Short-stemmed Iris

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Iris brevicaulis

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: This small, showy iris is known in Canada from open, moist woods on Pelee Island and near Leamington in southwestern Ontario. Of the four documented subpopulations, only one is confirmed extant. Potential threats include agricultural clearing, invasive species, and other ecosystem modifications.

Common name: Smooth Clustered Sedge

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Carex aggregata

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: A perennial sedge of calcareous open rocky woods first discovered in Ontario in 1982 on Middle Island where it considered native. The number of plants here is estimated to be fewer than 50 individuals. At least two additional sites have been documented from Elgin and Haldimand counties, though the native status of these occurrences is unclear. Threats to the Middle Island subpopulation include invasive species including Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and Common Starwort (Stellaria media), reduced canopy cover, changes in soil chemistry, and increased competition due to increasing numbers of nesting Double-crested Cormorants.

Common name: Solitary Sandpiper

Taxonomic group: Birds

Scientific name: Tringa solitaria

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: Solitary Sandpiper is a widespread but poorly-studied shorebird that nests in coniferous trees throughout the boreal zone of Canada, and winters from the Caribbean and Central America through most of South America. Although still relatively common, recent analyses of standardized shorebird surveys show that this species has likely declined by 50% over the past ten years. Its wide range and long migrations expose it to a wide variety of threats across many countries. While it is unclear exactly which threats account for the species' decline, loss and degradation of freshwater wetland habitat, particularly on the migration and wintering grounds, are likely important, as is hunting on the migration and winter range.

Common name: Square-stemmed Spikerush

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Eleocharis quadrangulata

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: A perennial spikesedge of shallow water ponds and marshes known historically from five subpopulations in southwestern Ontario where it reaches its northern range limit. Of these, only one has been recently verified; the others have not been relocated, and at least one is considered extirpated. The species has probably declined from historical populations since many of them are associated with wetland habitat that now occurs in highly modified landscapes. Two new sites have been discovered in recent years resulting in a total of three extant subpopulations, though the total number of mature individuals is not known. The habitat at the largest site is rapidly declining due to the spread of the invasive, introduced European Reed, an aggressive exotic wetland grass.

Common name: Tall Green Milkweed

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Asclepias hirtella

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: This large milkweed is restricted in Canada to tallgrass prairie remnants in Windsor, Ontario. There are only a few extant subpopulations and less than 40 plants probably remain. Potential threats include transportation and utility corridors, invasive species and other ecosystem modifications such as drainage and mowing.

Common name: Tiger Mydas Fly

Taxonomic group: Arthropods

Scientific name: Nemomydas pantherinus

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: The Tiger Mydas Fly is a distinctive, predaceous fly that is restricted to the Okanagan, Similkameen and Kettle Valleys in Canada, where it occurs in the hottest, driest grassland-steppe plant communities. The area of this habitat continues to decline at about 2% annually.

Common name: Tinted Woodland Spurge

Taxonomic group: Vascular plants

Scientific name: Euphorbia commutata

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: This small, annual plant is restricted in Canada to marble barrens near Black Donald Lake in Renfrew County and limestone alvars in Hastings County in eastern Ontario. There are about 13 documented subpopulations, of which 11 are considered extant. Threats include residential and commercial development, forestry activities, and invasive species.

Common name: Velvet Wedge

Taxonomic group: Molluscs

Scientific name: Xolotrema denotatum

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: Velvet Wedge might be a rare species at the northern limit of its range in southern Ontario and Quebec. This species is usually found on the Niagara Escarpment, but also in lowland forest. Some of the historical occurrence sites have already been lost through habitat loss and degradation. Other threats might be invasive species, climate change, and anthropogenic pressure.

Common name: Yellow Globelet

Taxonomic group: Molluscs

Scientific name: Mesodon clausus

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ontario, Parks Canada Agency

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Rationale: Yellow Globelet (Mesodon clausus) is a rare land snail at the northern limit of its range in southern Ontario. It lives in deciduous woods and open alvar/savannah. Two subpopulations are known: in Petroglyphs Provincial Park (Peterborough County) and Pelee Island (Essex County). The species is probably extremely rare at all sites. Numerous collections (1991-2023) from other places in Ontario have not found this species. Some degree of protection is afforded at both sites; however, the sites are managed with controlled burns which may increase mortality. Habitat degradation due to exotic earthworms and invasive plants, trampling by park visitors and climate change are threats to this species. Rescue from outside Canada is limited due to the Great Lakes acting as barrier and to low dispersal capacity of the snail.

Common name: Yellow-billed Loon

Taxonomic group: Birds

Scientific name: Gavia adamsii

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Alberta, British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut Territory, Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Parks Canada Agency, Quebec, Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, Wildlife Management Advisory Council - North Slope, Wildlife Management Advisory Council - Northwest Territories, Wekeezhii Renewable Resources Board, Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, Yukon Territory

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Rationale: In summary, available information suggests this long-lived Arctic-breeding species may meet small population criteria in Canada, it is declining significantly over short- and long-terms in the small portion of its North American winter range sampled by Christmas Bird Counts, with local bycatch, subsistence harvest and oil spills contributing to mortality, but surveys that monitor portions of the breeding range indicate stable or increasing trends. Indigenous traditional knowledge from the breeding range is likely to be a deciding factor in understanding its population status.

Common name: Yellowtail Flounder

Taxonomic group: Marine fishes

Scientific name: Limanda ferruginea

Canadian range / known or potential jurisdictions: Atlantic Ocean, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Parks Canada Agency, Prince Edward Island

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Rationale: Yellowtail flounder is a medium sized-flatfish that is distributed from the Newfoundland Grand Bank to shelf waters in Virginia in the USA. It occurs principally in depths <100 m. In Canada, they occur on the Grand Bank, in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, along the Scotian Shelf and on eastern Georges.