Elected representatives in government are in charge of the policy and funding that can make or break saving threatened species. Their decisions and actions matter.
Cunningham has or used to have 32 threatened animals within its boundaries. One of them is me, the Australasian Bittern.
We took care to attach appropriate images that are as close to representative of each species as our resources and the availability of images allowed. However, we could not ensure perfect accuracy in every case. Some images show species that share the same genus but not at the species or subspecies level.
Australasian Bittern
Botaurus poiciloptilus
Status: Endangered
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) lists threatened species under six categories:
Extinct, Extinct in the wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Conservation dependent. Read more about these categories
Botaurus poiciloptilus is found across 145 electorates.
The Australasian bittern is a secretive, stocky, heron-like bird, living in wetlands where it forages. Bitterns are very well camouflaged and can be difficult to spot in the reeds and rushes. On occasion they will even sway in time with reeds to blend into their surroundings. The distinctive booming call of males gives them away.¹
Explore more about this species on the Atlas of Living Australia
Adverse fire regimes
Changed surface and groundwater regimes
Climate change and severe weather
Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation
Invasive species and diseases
Explore more about the threats facing species on our Resources page.
- Bynoe's Wattle (Acacia bynoeana)
- Thick-leaf Star-hair (Astrotricha crassifolia)
- Thick-lipped Spider-orchid (Caladenia tessellata)
- Leafless Tongue-orchid (Cryptostylis hunteriana)
- White-flowered Wax Plant (Cynanchum elegans)
- Illawarra Socketwood (Daphnandra johnsonii)
- Camfield's Stringybark (Eucalyptus camfieldii)
- Yellow Gnat-orchid (Genoplesium baueri)
- Small-flower Grevillea (Grevillea parviflora subsp. parviflora)
- Grevillea raybrownii (Grevillea raybrownii)
- Wingless Raspwort (Haloragis exalata subsp. exalata)
- Woronora Beard-heath (Leucopogon exolasius)
- Deane's Melaleuca (Melaleuca deanei)
- Knotweed (Persicaria elatior)
- Bargo Geebung (Persoonia bargoensis)
- Hairy Geebung (Persoonia hirsuta)
- Nodding Geebung (Persoonia nutans)
- Spiked Rice-flower (Pimelea spicata)
- Jervis Bay Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum affine)
- Tawny Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum fuscum)
- Villous Mintbush (Prostanthera densa)
- Illawarra Greenhood (Pterostylis gibbosa)
- Sydney Plains Greenhood (Pterostylis saxicola)
- Pultenaea aristata (Pultenaea aristata)
- Scrub Turpentine (Rhodamnia rubescens)
- Magenta Lilly Pilly (Syzygium paniculatum)
- Kangaloon Sun Orchid (Thelymitra kangaloonica)
- Austral Toadflax (Thesium australe)
- Swamp Everlasting (Xerochrysum palustre)
You are in federal electorate Cunningham.