Wandering Albatross
Diomedea exulans
Amazing species
Bretschneidera sinensis
Tiger Chameleon
Archaius tigris
Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
More than 44,000 species are threatened with extinction
That is still 28% of all assessed species.
Amphibians
41%
Mammals
26%
Conifers
34%
Birds
12%
Sharks & Rays
37%
Reef corals
36%
Selected Crustaceans
28%
reptiles
21%
Cycads
70%
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News from IUCN
The 2023 Red List update reveals hope for birds in crisis
As the world teeters on the precipice of environmental devastation, BirdLife’s contribution to the 2023 IUCN Red List provides a stark reminder that we are losing birds at an unprecedented rate...
Read the full article on BirdLife
40,000 tree species now published on the IUCN Red List
Today the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has been updated! With the publication of around 4,000 new tree assessments the total number of tree species on the IUCN Red List is over 40,000.
Read the full article on BGCI
Freshwater fish highlight escalating climate impacts on species - IUCN Red List
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 11 December 2023 (IUCN) – Climate change threatens a growing number of species, from Atlantic salmon to green turtles, today’s update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ reveals.
Read the full article on IUCN
What is The IUCN Red List?
Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.
The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural resources we need to survive. It provides information about range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation decisions.
The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria
The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are intended to be an easily and widely understood system for classifying species at high risk of global extinction. It divides species into nine categories: Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct.
Our goals
To date, more than 157,100 species have been assessed for The IUCN Red List.
This is an incredible achievement. However, our work is nowhere near complete. We need to substantially increase the number of wild species assessed, particularly plants, invertebrates and fungi.
Our current goal is to have 160,000 species assessed. Meeting this goal will provide the most up-to-date indication of the health of the world’s biodiversity to guide critical conservation action. This is only achievable with support from people like you.