Red-listed species
Search the current Red List for most recent information about the threatened species of Ascension. This search is for the combined protectorate of Ascension, St Helena and Tristan da Cunha.
Of the 125 threatened species listed on the IUCN website, eighteen are declining. Further information may be found below.
| Group | Common name | Scientific name | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Atriplex plebeja | ||
| False Gumwood | Commidendrum spurium | ||
| She Cabbage Tree | Lachanodes arborea | ||
| Small Bellflower | Wahlenbergia angustifolia | ||
| Large Bellflower | Wahlenbergia linifolia | ||
| Sharks & Rays | (Oceanic) Whitetip Shark | Carcharhinus longimanus | |
| Reptiles | Green Turtle | Chelonia mydas | |
| Birds | St Helena Plover Wirebird |
Charadrius sanctaehelenae | |
| Tristan Albatross | Diomedea dabbenena | ||
| Wandering Albatross | Diomedea exulans | ||
| Northern Royal Albatross | Diomedea sanfordi | ||
| Rockhopper Penguin | Eudyptes chrysocome | ||
| Ascension Frigatebird | Fregata aquila | ||
| Southern Giant-Petrel | Macronectes giganteus | ||
| Sooty Albatross | Phoebetria fusca | ||
| White-chinned Petrel | Procellaria aequinoctialis | ||
| Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross | Thalassarche chlororhynchos | ||
| Grey-headed Albatross | Thalassarche chrysostoma |
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Endemic species
The following table lists the endemic species known to occur on Ascension and associated islands.
| Group | Family | Scientific name | Common name | IUCN threat category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plants | Asiantaceae | Anogramma ascensionis | EX | |
| Aspleniaceae | Asplenium ascensionis | NT | ||
| Cyperaceae | Cyperus appendiculatus | Rare (NB this species not in IUCN list) |
||
| Dryopteridaceae | Dryopteris ascensionis | EX | ||
| Euphorbiaceae | Euphorbia origanoides | CR B1ac(iii,iv)+2ac(iii,iv) | ||
| Gramineae | Sporobolus caespitosus | VU D2 | ||
| Gramineae | Sporobolus durus | EX | ||
| Grammitidaceae | Xiphopteris ascensionensis | [lr] | ||
| Marattiaceae | Marratia purpurascens | [lr] | ||
| Pteridaceae | Pteris adscensionis | CR B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) | ||
| Rubiaceae | Oldenlandia adscensionis | [EX] | ||
| Birds | Fregatidae | Fregata aquila | Ascension Frigatebird | VU |
| Ardeidae | Nycticorax sp. nov. | EX | ||
| Rallidae | Atlantisia elpenor | EX | ||
| Invertebrates | Oligochaeta | [Ocnerodrilidae] Gen nov. sp. nov. | [worm] | |
| Aranae | Opopaea ?euphorbicola | [spider] | ||
| Catonetria caeca | [cave spider] | |||
| Prodidomus clarki | [spider] | |||
| Prodidomus duffeyi | [spider] | |||
| Eupodidae sp. nov. | [mite] | |||
| Oribatida | Cordylobates fragilis | [mite] | ||
| Pseudoscorpiones | Garypus titanius | [Pseudoscorpion] | ||
| Apocheiridium cavicola | [Pseudoscorpion] | |||
| Neocheiridium sp. | [Pseudoscorpion] | |||
| Stenowithius duffeyi | [Pseudoscorpion] | |||
| Allowithius ascensionis | [Pseudoscorpion] | |||
| Isopoda | Niambia duffeyi | [Isopod] | ||
| Niambia longiantennata | [Isopod] | |||
| Elumoides coecus | [Isopod] | |||
| Geophilomorpha | Tuoba ashmoleorum | |||
| Collembola | Pseudosinella sp. A | |||
| Pseudosinella sp. B | ||||
| Pseudosinella sp. C | ||||
| Orthoptera | Mogoplistinae sp. A | |||
| Mogoplistinae sp. B | ||||
| Mogoplistinae sp. C | ||||
| Psocoptera | Troglotroctes ashmoleorum | |||
| Hymenoptera | ?Trachepyris sp. nov. | |||
| Lepidoptera | Erechthias sp. | [moth] | ||
| Eudarcia sp. | [moth] | |||
| [shrimp] | Typhlaty rogersii | |||
| Procaris ascensionis |
Important Bird Area species
These are species which are considered significant in terms of breeding population, endemism or rarity, leading to the designation of a site/sites as Important Bird Areas.
Criteria for these designations can be found on the BirdLife International website.
| IBA name | Species name | Common name | Population | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Island | Phaethon aethereus | Red-billed Tropicbird | 55 pairs (1959) | A4ii |
| Fregata aquila | Ascension Frigatebird | currently non-breeding | A1 | |
| Onychoprion [Sterna] fuscata | Sooty Tern | 194,000 pairs (1997) | A4i | |
| Anous minutus | Black Noddy | 5,000 pairs (1990) | A4i | |
| Boatswainbird Island | Oceanodroma castro | Band-rumped Storm-petrel | 1,500 pairs (1959) | A4ii |
| Phaethon aethereus | Red-billed Tropicbird | 500 pairs (1959) | A4ii | |
| Phaethon lepturus | White-tailed Tropicbird | 1,000 pairs (1959) | A4ii | |
| Fregata aquila | Ascension Frigatebird | 6,000 pairs (1997) | A1, A4ii | |
| Sula dactylatra | Masked Booby | 1,300 pairs (1990) | A4ii | |
| Anous minutus | Black Noddy | 5,000 pairs (1990) | A4i |