Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife

Nongame and Endangered Species Program

What is nongame wildlife?

What wildlife species in Delaware are endangered?

What does the Nongame and Endangered Species Program do?

How can I help?

What is Nongame Wildlife?

Delaware is home to more than 400 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. More than 80% of these species are "nongame species"—that is, they are not hunted or trapped for sport or consumption.

What wildlife species in Delaware are endangered?

Native wildlife species that are in danger of going extinct may be listed as endangered by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. To view Delaware’s current endangered species list, click here. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintains a list of threatened and endangered species that are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. To see which federally listed species are found in Delaware, click here.

An ounce of prevention.....

State and federal laws and regulations protect other native wildlife to help ensure that they do not become endangered in the future. Delaware’s native wildlife species are protected from collection for commercial sale, and reptiles and amphibians in particular are protected from over-collection. For the complete set of Delaware’s most recent wildlife regulations, click here.
For information on amphibian and reptile protection in Delaware, click here.

What does the Nongame and Endangered Species Program do?

The Nongame and Endangered Species Program was established in 1984 to monitor and protect nongame and endangered wildlife in the state of Delaware. Our long-term studies track the status of some of the state’s most imperiled species, and we work with other government agencies, private organizations, landowners and the public to ensure that the needs of nongame and endangered wildlife are met.

Projects include:

• Annual surveys of nesting Bald Eagles


• Monitoring and protection of breeding Piping Plovers


• Monitoring bog turtles


• Osprey nest studies in the Inland Bays


• Spring surveys of migrating shorebirds along the Delaware Bay


• Frog call surveys for the Delaware Amphibian Monitoring Project

How can I help?

Give a Wild Gift! The Nongame and Endangered Species Program is primarily supported by tax check-off donations to the Nongame Wildlife, Endangered Species, and Natural Areas Preservation Fund. Look for the Nongame Wildlife Fund on Line 21a of your Delaware state income tax form. You can donate all or part of your state tax refund, or add a contribution to any tax you owe. Your contribution is greatly appreciated and helps the Nongame and Endangered Species Program move forward in its work to protect our native wildlife. Note: The names of contributors to the tax check-off are kept confidential to protect their privacy, so we are not able to thank each contributor personally.

Donations can be made any time of the year by sending them directly to the Nongame Wildlife Fund at the Division of Fish and Wildlife, 89 King’s Highway, Dover, Delaware, 19901. Contributions to the Nongame Wildlife Fund are tax-deductible.

Do Something Wild! The Nongame and Endangered Species Program relies on volunteers for help with monitoring and protection. Some of our regular opportunities to get involved include

• Delaware Amphibian Monitoring Project. Since 1997, volunteers around the state have been tracking the status of Delaware’s frog and toad species. To find out more about our frog call surveys, click here .


• Shorebird Ambassador Project. The month of May brings thousands of migrating shorebirds back to the the Delaware Bay. With them arrive birders and tourists who flock to Delaware’s shores to witness this spectacle of nature. Volunteer Shorebird Ambassadors are stationed at "shorebird hotspots" during the migration to greet visitors, provide information to enhance their viewing experience, and help reduce disturbance to the foraging birds.


• Save our Shorebirds. Each year at the end of the summer, volunteers from Delaware and the D.C. area join forces to help with fencing at Piping Plover nesting areas on Delaware’s beaches.

For more information on volunteer opportunities, please e-mail the Nongame and Endangered Species Program or call (302) 653-2882

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