Order Acknowledging Receipt of the Assessments Done Under Subsection 23(1) of the Species at Risk Act (Canada Warbler and Six Other Wildlife Species): SI/2026-50

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 160, Number 20

Registration
SI/2026-50 October 7, 2026

SPECIES AT RISK ACT

Order Acknowledging Receipt of the Assessments Done Under Subsection 23(1) of the Species at Risk Act (Canada Warbler and Six Other Wildlife Species)

P.C. 2026-857 September 25, 2026

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of the Environment, acknowledges receipt, on the making of this Order, of the assessments done under subsection 23(1) of the Species at Risk Act footnote a by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) with respect to the wildlife species set out in the annexed schedule.

SCHEDULE

Threatened Species

Birds

Owl, Short-eared (Asio flammeus)
Hibou des marais

Special Concern

Birds

Removal of a Listed Species

Birds

Heron fannini subspecies, Great Blue (Ardea herodias fannini)
Grand héron de la sous-espèce fannini

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

The Order Acknowledging Receipt of the Assessments Done Under Subsection 23(1) of the Species at Risk Act (Canada Warbler and Six Other Wildlife Species) acknowledges receipt by the Governor in Council (GIC) of the assessments regarding the status of seven terrestrial wildlife species done by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) under paragraph 15(1)(a) of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and in accordance with subsection 23(1) of that Act.

Objective

The objective of this Order is to formally acknowledge that the GIC has received the COSEWIC assessments with respect to the seven species listed below, and to initiate the nine-month legislated timeline by which time the GIC must make a decision to either add the species to Schedule 1 of SARA, not add the species to Schedule 1 or refer the matter back to COSEWIC for further information or consideration.

Background

The purpose of SARA is to prevent wildlife species from being extirpated or becoming extinct, to provide for the recovery of extirpated, endangered or threatened species, and to manage species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.

COSEWIC was formed as an independent scientific body in 1977 to provide a single scientifically sound classification of wildlife species at risk of extinction in Canada. Each year, COSEWIC submits an annual report to the Minister of the Environment (the Minister) detailing the number of species assessed that year, including how many wildlife species statuses were re-examined. COSEWIC strives to re-examine the status of each previously assessed at-risk wildlife species at least every 10 years.

Table: COSEWIC assessments for seven species between 2020 and 2022
Species name Current SARA status COSEWIC Proposed Status
Reclassification (uplisting)
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) Special Concern Threatened
Reclassification (downlisting)
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) Threatened Special Concern
Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) Threatened Special Concern
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Threatened Special Concern
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) Threatened Special Concern
Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) Threatened Special Concern
Removal from Schedule 1
Great Blue Heron fannini subspecies (Ardea herodias fannini) Special Concern Non-active (remove from List)

In response to the assessments, the Minister submits these assessments to the GIC along with a recommendation that the GIC amend Schedule 1, in accordance with COSEWIC’s recommended designations for the seven species.

Implications

Should the GIC not make a decision within the nine months after receipt of this Order, the Minister is required to amend Schedule 1 in accordance with COSEWIC’s recommended designation for the species, in accordance with subsection 27(3) of SARA.

Contact

SAR Policy
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0H3
Telephone: 1‑800‑668‑6767
Email: LEPreglementations-SARAregulations@ec.gc.ca