Species at Risk

Chilliwack is home to many plants and animals that are increasingly rare and are in danger of disappearing from the wild. Protecting Species at Risk is important in maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity. Some of the threats to these species are:

habitat loss,
pollution,
invasive species, and
climate change.

Chilliwack is working to integrate protection of Species at Risk and their habitat at a policy level. For example, the Official Community Plan’s Goal Number 4 considers species at risk in relevant development proposals. In addition, Chilliwack is working with partners to protect and restore habitat for wildlife, including species at risk, around our community.

How can you help?

Learn as much as you can about the Species at Risk profiled below on this page.
Remove all invasive species on your property and choose native plants to help support Species at Risk.
Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions through cycling, public transportation and energy efficiency.
Download the BC Wildlife Federation's conservation app to your iPhone to report a concern about a species at risk.
Use the BC Conservation Data Centre’s iMap to see if there are Species at Risk near you. If so, consider stewarding your land in a manner that facilitates their existence, too.
Get involved with local projects and initiatives or connect with our Environmental Services Department for more opportunities.

Species at Risk in Chilliwack

The following Species at Risk call Chilliwack home, just like us. Learn more about each one by clicking on the links for detailed descriptions.

		Barn Owl, Tyto alba A medium-sized slender owl (up to 37 cm tall) with a distinctive, heart-shaped face, white and brown speckled body and relatively long wings. Its call is a screech and high-pitched tweets.
		Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica A swallow that is metallic blue-black on top and light brown underneath, with a distinctive long, deeply forked tail.
		Coastal Giant Salamander, Dicamptodon tenebrosus A large-sized salamander (up to 35 cm) with a long, thick body, and mottled skin.
		Coastal Tailed Frog, Ascaphus truei A small amphibian (up to 5.1 cm) whose eyes have vertical pupils. The adult males have tail-like appendage for mating. Its skin colour can range from light brown to grey-green or charcoal.
		Great Blue Heron, fannini subspecies, Ardea Herodias fannini A tall, wading bird (height of 60 cm, wingspan of 1.5 m) with long legs and neck. The body is blue-grey, with a white head and face.
		Little Brown Myotis, Myotis lucifugus A small bat (5 cm in length) with large black ears, black wings, and a black tail membrane. Its back has brown to blackish fur, with lighter brown fur underneath.
		Mountain Beaver, Aplodontia rufa A large rodent (up to 28 cm long) with small eyes and ears, compact round body, short tail, and large curved front claws. Colour ranges from grey to brown.
		Northern Red-legged Frog, Rana aurora A medium-sized frog (up to 10 cm) with skin ridges down its back, dark eye mask, and long legs with red undersides. Its skin colour can range from tan, olive and grey to reddish-brown.
		Oregon Forestsnail, Allogona townsendiana A large land snail (23-30 mm) with a brown or yellow-brown shell that sometimes looks bleached. The underside has a deep central pit and a thick, white and flared lip.
		Oregon Spotted Frog, Rana pretiosa A medium-sized frog (less than 10 cm) with spots on its back that are rings rather than blotches, with golden yellow eyes that face upwards. Its skin colour can vary from light green to dark brown.
		Pacific Water Shrew, Sorex bendirii A large shrew (up to 17.9 cm including the tail) with velvet-like dark brown to black fur, a dark brown tail, and fringe-like hairs on its feet.
		Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae An elusive non-photosynthetic orchid with a white stem (20 - 55 cm tall). Along the stem are 5 to 20 delicate white flowers, each having a yellow gland on the lower lip.
		*Salish Sucker, Catostomus* sp. 4** A freshwater fish (up to 24 cm) with an elongated and cylindrical body, small scales, forked tailfin with rounded tips, long snout ending in a rounded point, and toothless mouth with fleshy ‘lips’.
		Short-Eared Owl, Asio flammeus A medium-sized owl with a brown spotted body (up to 44 cm) and a pale face with black outlined eyes.
		Tall Bugbane, Actaea elata var. elata Tall perennial plant (up to 2 m) with maple-like leaves that have very fine hairs on the upper and lower surfaces, and tiny white flowers clustered on brush-like flower spikes.
		Western Painted Turtle – *Pacific Coast Population, Chrysemys picta* pop. 1** A turtle (up to 25 cm) with a smooth olive-green to dark brown shell. Head, neck and tail are olive to greenish-black, and yellow striped. Underneath, the shell has a distinctive red or orange pattern.
		*Western Screech-owl, kennicottii* subspecies, Megascops kennicottii kennicottii** A small owl with a brown-grey streaked compact body (up to 25.5 cm) with yellow eyes and small ear tufts. Call is a series of low whistles that sounds like an accelerating ‘bouncing ball’.
		Western Toad, Anaxyrus boreas A large-sized amphibian (up to 12.5 cm) with dry warts and a light-coloured line down its back. Its skin colour can range from light brown to grey or greenish.