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.
Franklin has or used to have 23 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.
- Native Wintercress (Barbarea australis)
- Black-tipped Spider-orchid (Caladenia anthracina)
- Tailed Spider-orchid (Caladenia caudata)
- Sagg Spider-orchid (Caladenia saggicola)
- Forest Fingers (Caladenia sylvicola)
- Pedder Centrolepis (Centrolepis pedderensis)
- Curtis' Colobanth (Colobanthus curtisiae)
- Matted Flax-lily (Dianella amoena)
- Stuart's Heath (Epacris stuartii)
- Pretty Heath (Epacris virgata)
- Morrisby's Gum (Eucalyptus morrisbyi)
- Shy Eyebright (Euphrasia fragosa)
- Swamp Eyebright (Euphrasia gibbsiae subsp. psilantherea)
- Clover Glycine (Glycine latrobeana)
- Basalt Pepper-cress (Lepidium hyssopifolium)
- Hoary Sunray (Leucochrysum albicans subsp. tricolor)
- Reflexed Everlasting (Ozothamnus reflexifolius)
- Moleskin Dogwood (Pomaderris pilifera subsp. talpicutica)
- Dainty Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum amoenum)
- Tapered Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum apoxychilum)
- Chestnut Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum castaneum)
- Milford Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum milfordense)
- Knocklofty Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum perangustum)
- Pretty Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum pulchellum)
- Grassland Greenhood (Pterostylis ziegeleri)
- Sky-blue Sun-orchid (Thelymitra jonesii)
- Swamp Everlasting (Xerochrysum palustre)
You are in federal electorate Franklin.