Field Guides

A species of Special Concern is one that is becoming more rare or has only small populations in the state of Michigan. These include species that are rare in terms of the numbers of individuals (animals or plants) in the state. It also includes species that are found in only a small and limited area, although they might be very common in that small area. Sometimes a species of Special Concern is rare in the state of Michigan, but is common in other places (such as another state or Canada).

Species of Special Concern are protected so that they don’t become threatened, endangered, extirpated, or extinct in Michigan. Some species are placed in the Special Concern category while more research is done to determine how rare they are or what factors might be making them rare.