Species at Risk in St. Williams Conservation Reserve

A “species at risk” is any naturally-occurring plant or animal in danger of extinction or of disappearing from the province. Once classified as “at risk”, they are added to the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List.

The St. Williams Conservation Reserve is centred in the middle of the Carolinian Life Zone, which makes up only 1% of Canada’s total land area but boasts a greater number of both flora and fauna species than any other ecosystem in Canada. It is also the province’s most threatened ecological region. Over 125 species at risk live in the Carolinian Life Zone and another 400 are considered either provincially and/or globally “rare”.

The St. Williams Conservation Reserve is an important area in that its forests, oak savannah, sand dunes, ravines, wetlands, and streams are home to the 23 species at risk, which includes 7 plant, 1 insect, 1 amphibian, 12 bird and 2 mammal species.

Pictures of each species are provided below. By clicking on the Common Name you can learn more about each species, with regards to their range, biology and threats.

Plants

American Chestnut Castanea dentata Photo by Mary Gartshore	Spotted Wintergreen Chimaphila maculata Photo by David White	Eastern Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida Photo by Bernt Solymár
Butternut Juglans cinerea	American Ginseng Panax quinquefolius	Virginia Goat’s-rue Tephrosia virginiana
Bird’s-foot Violet Viola pedata Photo by Mary Gartshore

Insects

Monarch Danaus plexippus Photo by Bernt Solymár

Frosted Elfin Callophrys irus Photo by Mary Gartshore

Karner Blue Lycaeides melissa samuelis Photo by Mary Gartshore

Herptiles

Jefferson Salamander Ambystoma jeffersonianum Photo by Bernt Solymár	Blanding's Turtle Emydoidea blandingii Photo by Bernt Solymár	Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake Heterodon platirhinos Photo by Bernt Solymár	Milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum Photo by Bernt Solymár	Gray Ratsnake Pantherophis spiloides Photo by Mike Oldham
Eastern Fox Snake Pantherophis gloydi Photo by Al Woodliffe

Birds

Whip-poor-will Caprimulgus vociferus	Common Nighthawk Chordeiles minor	Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica
Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea Photo by Michael Patrikeev	Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina Photo by George Pond	Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea
Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus	Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens Photo by George Pond	Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus Photo by George Pond
Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla	Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera Photo by George Pond	Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis Photo by George Pond

Mammals

Woodland Vole Microtis pinetorum

American Badger Taxidea taxus Photo by Ron Ridout

Report any sightings of Species at Risk in SWCR

Use this sightings report form to report your observations of Species at Risk or other rare species in the St. Williams Conservation Reserve. The information you provide will be sent to the St. Williams Conservation Reserve (SWCR) Community Council and be shared with the Ministry of Natural Resources but otherwise remain confidential. Reptile-at-risk sightings will also be shared with the Long Point Basin Land Trust’s Conserving Carolinian Reptiles program.

Please use discretion about telling others about the locations of any species that are vulnerable to disturbance. For example, do not give exact locations for at-risk reptiles or nesting sites of rare birds.

Thank you for helping us better protect Species at Risk in the SWCR!