Organisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild in the immediate future.

IUCN Category The Critically Endangered status, in relation to other IUCN Red List categories

The World Conservation Union (IUCN), widely considered to be the most objective and authoritative system for classifying species in terms of the risk of extinction,[1] lists 3246 species (1665 animals, 1575 plants, 6 fungi, lichens and algae)[2] of the world as being critically endangered in their 2008 Red List.

Critically endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN for wild species. Critically endangered means that a species numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations.[3]

As the IUCN does not consider a species extinct until extensive, targeted surveys have been conducted, species which are possibly extinct are still listed as "Critically Endangered". A new category for "Possibly Extinct" has been suggested by BirdLife International to categorize these taxa.

Mammals

Primates

• Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
• Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli)
• Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)
• Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelli)
• Eastern Black Crested Gibbon (Nomascus nasutus)
• Pagai Island Macaque (Macaca pagensis)
• Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus)
• Delacour's Langur (Trachypithecus delacouri)
• White-headed Langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus)
• Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Oreonax flavicauda)
• Northern Muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus)
• Yellow-breasted Capuchin (Cebus xanthosternos)
• Superagui Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus caissara)
• Blue-eyed Black Lemur (Eulemur macaco flavifrons)
• Greater Bamboo Lemur (Prolemur simus)
• Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus)
• Miss Waldron's Red Colobus (Procolobus badius waldroni)
• Golden-headed Langur (Trachypithecus p. poliocephalus)
• Grey-shanked Douc (Pygathrix cinerea)
• Hainan Black-crested Gibbon (Nomascus hainanus)
• Brown-headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps)
• Kipunji

Lagomorphs

• Riverine rabbit (Bunolagus monticularuis)
• Omilteme Cottontail (Sylvilagus insonus)
• Helan Shan Pika (Ochotona argentata)
• (Ochotona pallasi hamica)
• (Ochotona thibetana sikimaria)

Bats

• Bulmer's fruit bat (Aproteles bulmerae)
• S?o Tom? Free-tailed Bat (Chaerephon tomensis)
• Seychelles sheath-tailed bat (Coleura seychellensis)
• Lamotte's roundleaf bat (Hipposideros lamottei)
• Malayan Roundleaf Bat (Hipposideros nequam)
• Peter's Tube-nosed Bat (Murina grisea)
• Gloomy Tube-nosed Bat (Murina tenebrosa)
• Vietnam leaf-nosed bat (Paracoelops megalotis)
• New Guinea big-eared bat (Pharotis imogene)
• Anthony's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus anthonyi)
• Joffre's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus joffrei)
• Fijian monkey-faced bat (Mirimiri acrodonta) - formerly in Pteralopex
• Bougainville monkey-faced bat (Pteralopex anceps)
• Guadalcanal monkey-faced bat (Pteralopex atrata)
• Montane monkey-faced bat (Pteralopex pulchra)
• Aldabra Flying Fox (Pteropus aldabrensis)
• Pteropus insularis
• Pteropus livingstonii
• Pteropus molossinus
• Pteropus phaecocephalus
• Pteropus pselaphon
• Pteropus rodricensis
• Rhinolophus convexus
• Rhinolophus hilli
• Scotophilus borboniscus
• Taphozous troughtoni

Carnivores

• Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis)
• Darwin's Fox (Pseudalopex fulvipes)
• Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)
• Malabar civet (Viverra civettina)
• Painted Hunting Dog (Lycaon pictus)[4]
• Saimaa Ringed Seal (Pusa hispida saimensis)
• Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus)[5]
• Red wolf (Canis rufus)[6]
• Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus ori?ntalis)
• Barbary Leopard (Panthera pardus panthera)[7]
• Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae)
• Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus)
• Mexican Wolf

Odd-toed ungulates

• African Wild Ass (Equus africanus)
• Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)
• Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus)
• Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)
• Przewalski's Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii)

Even-toed ungulates

• Giant Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger varani)
• Pygmy hog (Sus salvanius)
• Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons)
• Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus)
• Addax (Addax nasomaculatus)
• Aders' Duiker (Cephalophus adersi)
• Kouprey (Bos sauveli)
• Tamaraw or Tamarou (Bubalus mindorensis)
• Hirola (Damaliscus hunteri)
• Dama Gazelle (Gazella dama)
• Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis)
• Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica)

Cetacea

• Vaquita (Phocoena sinus)
• Baiji (Lepotes vexillifer)

Insectivores

Order Soricomorpha

• Shrews
  • Harenna Shrew (Crocidura harenna)
  • Negros Shrew (Crocidura negrina)
  • Sao Tom? Shrew (Crocidura thomensis)
  • Wimmer's Shrew (Crocidura wimmeri)
  • Hantu Water Shrew (Chimarrogale hantu)
  • Sumatran Water Shrew (Chimarrogale sumatrana)
  • Eisentraut's Mouse Shrew (Myosorex eisentrauti)
  • Rumpi Mouse Shrew (Myosorex rumpii)
  • Gansu Shrew (Sorex cansulus)
  • Kozlov's Shrew (Sorex kozlovi)
  • Salenski's Shrew (Soriculus salenskii)
  • Black Shrew (Suncus ater)
• Moles
  • Small-toothed Mole (Euroscaptor parvidens)

Order Erinaceomorpha

• Dwarf Gymnure (Hylomys parvus)

Order Afrosoricida

• Golden Moles
  • Somali Golden Mole (Chlorotalpa tytonis)
  • Visagie's Golden Mole (Chrysochloris visagiei)
  • De Winton's Golden Mole (Cryptochloris wintoni)
• Tenrecs
  • Tree Shrew Tenrec (Microgale dryas)

Marsupials

• Opossums
  • Aceramarca Gracile Opossum (Gracilianus aceramarcae)
  • Anderson's Mouse Opossum (Marmosa andersoni)
  • Handley's Slender Mouse Opossum (Marmosops handleyi)
• Diprotodonts
  • Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii)
  • Gilbert's Potoroo (Potorous gilbertii)

Birds

• Alaotra Grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus)
• Black-hooded Coucal (Centropus steerii)
• California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
• Chatham Island Shag (Phalacrocorax onslowi)
• Christmas Island frigatebird (Fregata andrewsi)
• Jamaican Pauraque (Siphonorhis americana)
• Jun?n Grebe (Podiceps taczanowskii)
• Magdalena Tinamou (Crypturellus saltuarius)
• New Caledonian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles savesi)
• Okarito Brown Kiwi (Apteryx rowi)
• Puerto Rican Nightjar (Caprimulgus noctitherus)
• Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
• Sulu Hornbill (Anthracoceros montani)
• Sumatran Ground Cuckoo (Carpococcyx viridis)
• Tuamoto Kingfisher (Todiramphus gambieri)
• Writhed-billed Hornbill (Aceros waldeni)

Anseriformes

• Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus)
• Campbell Island Teal (Anas nesiotis)
• Crested Shelduck (Tadorna cristata)
• Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis)
• Madagascar Pochard (Aythya innotata)
• Pink-headed Duck (Netta caryophyllacea)

Apodiformes

• Black-breasted Puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis)
• Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia castaneiventris)
• Colorful Puffleg (Eriocnemis mirabilis)
• Dusky Starfrontlet (Coeligena orina)
• Gorgeted Puffleg (Eriocnemis isabellae)
• Honduran Emerald (Amazilia luciae)
• Juan Fern?ndez Firecrown (Sephanoides fernandensis)
• Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird (Lepidopyga lilliae)
• Short-crested Coquette (Lophornis brachylophus)

Charadriiformes

• Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae)
• Chinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini)
• Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis)
• Javanese Lapwing (Vanellus macropterus)
• Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
• Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris)
• Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris)
• Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius)
• Saint Helena Plover (Charadrius sanctaehelenae)

Ciconiiformes

• California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
• Dwarf Olive Ibis (Bostrychia bocagei)
• Giant Ibis (Thaumatibis gigantea)
• Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)
• White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)
• White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni)

Columbiformes

• Blue-eyed Ground-dove (Columbina cyanopis)
• Grenada Dove (Leptotila wellsi)
• Marquesan Imperial Pigeon (Ducula galeata)
• Mindoro Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba platenae)
• Negros Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba keayi)
• Negros Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus arcanus)
• Polynesian Ground-dove (Gallicolumba erythroptera)
• Purple-winged Ground Dove (Claravis godefrida)
• Silvery Pigeon (Columba argentina)
• Sulu Bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba menagei)

Falconiformes

• Cuban Kite (Chondrohierax wilsonii)
• Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus)
• Madagascar Fish-eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides)
• Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi)
• Ridgway's Hawk (Buteo ridgwayi)
• Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
• White-collared Kite (Leptodon forbesi)
• White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)

Galliformes

• Blue-Billed Curassow (Crax alberti)
• Djibouti Francolin (Francolinus ochropectus)
• Gorgeted Wood-quail (Odontophorus strophium)
• Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa)
• Trinidad Piping-Guan (Pipile pipile)
• White-winged Guan (Penelope albipennis)

Gruiformes

• Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis)
• Makira Moorhen (Gallinula silvestris)
• New Caledonian Rail (Gallirallus lafresnayanus)
• Samoan Moorhen (Gallinula pacifica)
• Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus)
• Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)

Passeriformes

• 'Akikiki (Oreomystis bairdi)
• 'Akohekohe (Palmeria dolei)
• Alagoas Antwren (Myrmotherula snowi)
• Alagoas Foliage-gleaner (Philydor novaesi)
• Araripe Manakin (Antilophia bokermanni)
• Archer's Lark (Heteromirafra archeri)
• Azores Bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina)
• Bachman's Warbler (Vermivora bachmanii)
• Bahia Tapaculo (Scytalopus psychopompus)
• Bali Starling (Leucopsar rothschildi)
• Banggai Crow (Corvus unicolor)
• Belding's Yellowthroat (Geothlypis beldingi)
• Black-chinned Monarch (Monarcha boanensis)
• Blue-crowned Laughingthrush (Garrulax courtoisi)
• Bulo Burti Boubou (Laniarius liberatus)
• Caerulean Paradise-flycatcher (Eutrichomyias rowleyi)
• Carrizal Seedeater (Amaurospiza carrizalensis)
• Cebu Flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor)
• Cherry-throated Tanager (Nemosia roure)
• Cone-billed Tanager (Conothraupis mesoleuca)
• Cozumel Thrasher )Toxostoma guttatum)
• Entre R?os Seedeater (Sporophila zelichi)
• Faichuk White-eye (Rukia ruki)
• Fatuhiva Monarch (Pomarea whitneyi)
• Golden White-eye (Cleptornis marchei)
• Guadalupe Junco (Junco insularis)
• Gurney's Pitta (Pitta gurneyi)
• Hooded Seedeater (Sporophila melanops)
• Iquitos Gnatcatcher (Polioptila clementsi)
• Isabela Oriole (Oriolus isabellae)
• Kaempfer's Tody-tyrant (Hemitriccus kaempferi)
• Kinglet Calyptura (Calyptura cristata)
• Liberian Greenbul (Phyllastrephus leucolepis)
• Long-billed Tailorbird (Apalis moreaui)
• Mangrove Finch (Camarhynchus heliobates)
• Masafuera Rayadito (Aphrastura masafuerae)
• Mauritius Fody (Foudia rubra)
• Mauritius Olive White-eye (Zosterops chloronothus)
• Millerbird (Acrocephalus familiaris)
• Minas Gerais Tyrannulet (Phylloscartes roquettei)
• Montserrat Oriole (Icterus oberi)
• Munchique Wood-wren (Henicorhina negreti)
• Niceforo's Wren (Thryothorus nicefori)
• Nihoa Finch (Telespiza ultima)
• Nukupu'u (Hemignathus lucidus)
• O'ahu 'Alauahio (Paroreomyza maculata)
• Oloma'o (Myadestes lanaiensis)
• Pale-headed Brush-finch (Atlapetes pallidiceps)
• Pohnpei Starling (Aplonis pelzelni)
• Po?o-uli (Melamprosops phaeosoma)
• Puaiohi (Myadestes palmeri)
• Raso Lark (Alauda razae)
• Restinga Antwren (Formicivora littoralis)
• Rio de Janeiro Antwren (Myrmotherula fluminensis)
• Rond?nia Bushbird (Clytoctantes atrogularis)
• Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops rotensis)
• Royal Cinclodes (Cinclodes aricomae)
• Rueck's Blue-flycatcher (Cyornis ruckii)
• Sangihe Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla sanghirensis)
• Sangihe White-eye (Zosterops nehrkorni)
• S?o Tom? Fiscal (Lanius newtoni)
• S?o Tom? Grosbeak (Neospiza concolor)
• Semper's Warbler (Leucopeza semperi)
• Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone corvina)
• Socorro Mockingbird (Mimodes graysoni)
• Somali Thrush (Turdus ludoviciae) (2008 now listed as vulnerable)
• Stresemann's Bristlefront (Merulaxis stresemanni)
• Tahiti Monarch (Pomarea nigra)
• Taita Apalis (Apalis fuscigularis)
• Taita Thrush (Turdus helleri)
• Uluguru Bushshrike (Malaconotus alius)
• White-chested White-eye (Zosterops albogularis)
• White-eyed River-martin (Eurochelidon sirintarae)

Piciformes

• Imperial Woodpecker (Campephilus imperialis)
• Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)
• Kaempfer's Woodpecker (Celeus obrieni)
• Okinawa Woodpecker (Dendrocopos noguchii)

Procellariiformes

• Amsterdam Albatross (Diomedea amsterdamensis)
• Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus)
• Beck's Petrel (Pseudobulweria becki)
• Chatham Albatross (Thalassarche eremita)
• Chatham Petrel (Pterodroma axillaris)
• Fiji Petrel (Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi)
• Gal?pagos Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia)
• Guadalupe Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma macrodactyla)
• Jamaica Petrel (Pterodroma caribbaea)
• Magenta Petrel (Pterodroma magentae)
• Mascarene Petrel (Pseudobulweria aterrima)
• New Zealand Storm-petrel (Oceanites maorianus)
• Townsend's Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis)
• Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata)

Psittaciformes

• Blue-fronted Lorikeet (Charmosyna toxopei)
• Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis; previously Ara caninde)
• Fuertes's Parrot (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi)
• Glaucous Macaw, (Anodorhynchus glaucus)
• Grey-breasted Parakeet (Pyrrhura griseipectus)
• Indigo-winged Parrot (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi)
• Kakapo (Strigops habroptila)[8]
• Malherbe's Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi)
• New Caledonian Lorikeet (Charmosyna diadema)
• Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis)
• Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster)
• Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata)
• Red-throated Lorikeet (Charmosyna amabilis)
• Red-vented Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia)
• Spix's Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii)
• Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea)
• Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis)

Strigiformes

• Anjouan Scops Owl (Otus capnodes)
• Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti)
• Grand Comoro Scops-owl (Otus pauliani)
• Moheli Scops Owl (Otus moheliensis)
• Pernambuco Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium mooreorum)
• Siau Scops Owl (Otus siaoensis)

Reptiles

Crocodilians

• Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis)
• Gavial (Gavialis gangeticus)
• Philippine Crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis)
• Orinoco Crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius)
• Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)

Squamata

• Blue Iguana (Cyclura Lewisi)

Amphibians

• Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)
• Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus)
• Abe's Salamander (Hynobius abei)
• Anderson's Salamander (Ambystoma andersoni)

Fish

• Alabama sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi)
• Coelacanth
• Common sawfish (Pristis pristis)
• Daggernose shark (Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus)
• Dumb gulper shark (Centrophorus harrissoni)
• Dwarf sawfish also called Queensland sawfish (Pristis clavata)
• Dwarf loach (Yasuhikotakia sidthimunki)
• Dwarf pygmy goby (Pandaka pygmaea)
• Ganges shark (Glyphis gangeticus)
• Giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas)
• Goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara)
• Knifetooth sawfish also called pointed sawfish, (Anoxypristis cuspidata)
• Large-tooth sawfish (Pristis microdon)
• Longcomb sawfish (Pristis zijsron)
• Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas)
• Pondicherry shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon)
• Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)
• Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii)
• Angelshark (Squatina squatina)
• Striped smooth-hound (Mustelus fasciatus)
• Totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi)

Fungi

• Boreal Felt Lichen (Erioderma pedicellatum)
• Pleurotus nebrodensis

See also

• Biodiversity Action Plan
• IUCN Red List
• Threatened fauna of Australia