Updated Species Lists
January 31st, 2022
Species lists have been updated and posted to our species list page. Most updates are a result of the 2020 program on the General Status of Species in Canada.
A new field called "Origin" has been added to the excel species lists to denote whether a species is of native, exotic, or unknown/undetermined origin.
Summary of Noteworthy Changes to the Vertebrate List:
Migratory species subnational (S) ranks have been updated to only include the migratory (M) rank qualifier if it is different from the most secure breeding (B) or nonbreeding (N) qualifier. For example, if the subnational rank was S3B,S3M it will now appear as S3B, and means the same thing. For another example, a status of S3B,S5N,S5M is equivalent to S3B,S5N.
Tracking List Additions:
- Ruddy Turnstone (SUM)
- Baird's Sandpiper (SUM)
- White-rumped Sandpiper (SUM)
- Pectoral Sandpiper (SUM)
- Semipalmated Sandpiper (SUM)
- Long-billed Dowitcher (SUM)
- Dusky Flycatcher (SUB)
- Eastern Towhee (S3B)
- Spring Peeper (SNR)
Scientific name changes, including updates to birds from the 2021 AOS Supplement:
- Mew Gull: Larus canus to Larus brachyrhynchus
- Spruce Grouse: Falcipennis canadensis to Canachites canadensis
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Regulus calendula to Corthylio calendula
- Sedge Wren: Cistothorus platensis to Cistothorus stellaris
- Double-crested Cormorant: Phalacrocorax auritus to Nannopterum auritum
- Ermine: Mustela ermine to Mustela richardsonii
Summary of Noteworthy Vascular Plant Tracking List Changes:
Name Updates:
- The scientific name for Transbergingia bursifolia ssp. virgata (Slender Mouse-ear-cress) has been updated to Crucihimilaya virgata
Taxonomic Updates:
- Ranunculus aquatilis is no longer a name that is acceptable for taxa found in Sask. Plants that would have formerly been identified as R. aquatilis would fit into either R. longirostris or R. trichophyllus
- The name Salsola kali is not applicable to Sask. taxa. Plants will fall into either Kali tragus (previously Salsola tragus) or Kali collinum (previously Salsola collina).
New Species Confirmed in Sask:
- Orobanche corymbosa ssp. mutabilis. This species superficially resembles Orobanche ludoviciana but has glabrous palatal folds while O. ludoviciana has hairy palatal folds.
- A full key can be found on the Flora of North America website
- This taxon is likely rare and is being tracked. It is known from south central Saskatchewan thus far.
- Platanthera huronensis. This species resembles Platanthera aquilonis. P. huronensis and P. aquilonis can be separated by observing the anthers: in P. aquilonis the anthers are low and appearing to lie on top of the stigma and anther sacs diverge from the apices, while in P. huronensis the anthers are high, rising above the stigma, and the anther sacs are more parallel.
- A full key can be found on the Flora of North America website
- This taxon appears to have a broad distribution (Cypress Hills to Weyakwin to Hudson Bay) in Sask. and is not being tracked
- Carex hallii. This species resembles Carex parryana.
- A full key to section Racemosae can be found on the Flora of North America website
- A more up to date and specific key can be found in Reznicek AA, DF Murrary. 2013. A re-evaluation of Carex specuicola and the Carex parryana complex (Cyperaceae). Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 7: 37-51. Online https://www.jstor.org/stable/24621047
- This taxon is likely rare and is being tracked. It is currently known from the Spy Hill area.
- Lappula fremontii. This species can superficially resemble both our native and exotic Lappula species.
- A key and description can be found here. The Flora of North America treatment is not yet available.
- This taxon is likely rare and is on the tracking list. We currently know of it from Grasslands National Park in both the Val Marie and Killdeer areas.
New Species Awaiting Confirmation in Sask:
- Poa bulbosa was reported from the Cypress Hills Centre Block campground. It is exotic.
- Rhinathus minor ssp. groenlandicus (also called R. groenlandicus) has been reported from the Spiritwood area.
- Carex radiata has been reported from the Hudson Bay area.
Information in each species list report is current only to the date at which it was published, and this date can be found on each report. As we are frequently updating information in our system, it is advised that you check the SKCDC species lists page for the latest report prior to starting your project.
For more information on how species lists are created, view our page on generating species lists. For descriptions of species conservation rank meanings, see our ranking methodology page (an update of new migratory ranking rules described above to come). For further questions or if you notice any errors or omissions, please contact SKCDC.data@gov.sk.ca.
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