Threatened Species and Ecological Communities

On this page

• Common Assessment Method
• Threatened native species
  • Threatened species of the ACT
    • Critically Endangered
    • Endangered
    • Vulnerable
    • Regionally conservation dependent
• Threatened ecological communities
  • Threatened ecological communities of the ACT
    • Endangered
    • Critically endangered
• Key threatening processes
• Nominations
• Conservation advice and action plans
• More information

A species or ecological community is threatened if it is likely to become extinct in the foreseeable future.

A process is threatening if it has the potential to threaten the survival of a species or ecological community in the ACT region.

The Nature Conservation Act 2014 (ACT) establishes a formal process for the identification and protection of threatened species and ecological communities. It requires the Scientific Committee to advise the Minister for the Environment and Heritage (the Minister) of native species and ecological communities that are threatened in the ACT, and ecologically significant threatening processes. Following an assessment against criteria, the Committee will recommend that they be listed accordingly.

Common Assessment Method

A common assessment method (CAM) has been established by the Australian Government, States and Territories for the assessment and listing of all nationally threatened species (under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act). State and Territory threatened species lists will only contain species that occur in their jurisdiction, however the category of a species will be the same where it is listed in more than one jurisdictions.

This does mean that the category of some ACT threatened species will change so that it is aligned with the rest of Australia. For some species the category under the EPBC Act may align with categories in the ACT (or other states) after a nation-wide assessment is undertaken. A species may be listed in one of the regional categories if it does not meet the criteria for national listing.

Further information about the CAM is available on the Department of the Environment and Energy website.

Threatened native species

The formal list of threatened species in the ACT is published in NI2023-193 on the ACT legislation register. A species may be assessed at the national scale and listed in a national category as:

• extinct
• extinct in the wild
• critically endangered
• endangered
• vulnerable
• conservation dependent

A native species occurring in the ACT may be listed in a regional category if it does not meet national criteria:

• regionally threatened
• regionally conservation dependent
• provisional

The list below provides the scientific and common names of threatened species in the ACT according to their listing category. A link is provided with their respective action plan or conservation advice.

Threatened Species of the ACT

Critically Endangered

Birds

Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia)

• Conservation Advice for the Regent Honeyeater.
• Actions for the conservation of the habitat of the Regent Honeyeater are incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor)

• Conservation Advice for the Swift Parrot.
• Actions for the conservation of the habitat of the Swift Parrot are incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Amphibians

Northern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi)

• Conservation Advice for the Northern Corroboree Frog.
• Action Plan No. 6 Northern Corroboree Frog.

Yellow-spotted Bell Frog (Litoria castanea)

• Conservation Advice for the Yellow-spotted Bell Frog.
• Locally extinct.
• The Yellow-spotted Frog was listed as Critically Endangered in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Plants

Brindabella Midge Orchid (Corunastylis ectopa)

• Conservation Advice for the Brindabella Midge Orchid.
• Action Plan No. 32 Brindabella Midge Orchid.
• Brindabella Midge Orchid Action Plan - Implementation Progress Report 2020.

Canberra Spider Orchid (Caladenia actensis)

• Conservation Advice for the Canberra Spider Orchid.
• The Action Plan for the Canberra Spider Orchid is incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Kiandra Greenhood (Pterostylis oreophila)

• Conservation Advice for the Kiandra Greenhood.
• The Kiandra Greenhood was listed as Critically Endangered in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Reptiles

Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis lineata)

• Conservation Advice for the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon.
• The Action Plan for the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon is incorporated within the ACT Native Grassland Conservation Strategy and Action Plans.

Endangered

Mammals

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata)

• Conservation Advice for the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby.
• Action Plan for the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby.
• Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Action Plan - Implementation Progress Report 2020.

Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus)

• Conservation Advice for the Eastern Quoll.
• The Eastern Quoll was listed as Endangered in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Southern Greater Glider (Petauroides volans)

• Conservation Advice for the Southern Greater Glider.
• The Southern Greater Glider was listed as Endangered in the ACT in April 2023 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Koala (QLD/NSW/ACT population) (Phascolarctos cinereus)

• Conservation Advice for the Koala.
• The Koala was listed as Endangered in the ACT in April 2023 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Smoky Mouse (Pseudomys fumeus)

• Conservation Advice for the Smoky Mouse.
• Action Plan No. 23 Smoky Mouse.

Southern Brown Bandicoot (Eastern) (Isoodon obesulus obesulus)

• Conservation Advice for the Southern Brown Bandicoot.
• The Southern Brown Bandicoot was listed as Endangered in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Birds

Australian Painted Snipe (Rostratula australis)

• Conservation Advice for the Australian Painted Snipe.
• The Australian Painted Snipe was listed as Endangered in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus)

• Conservation Advice for the Australasian Bittern.
• The Australian Bittern was listed as Endangered in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum)

• Conservation Advice for the Gang-gang Cockatoo.
• The Gang-gang Cockatoo was listed as Endangered in the ACT in April 2023 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Reptiles

Mountain Skink (Liopholis montana)

• Conservation Advice or the Mountain Skink.
• The Mountain Skink was listed as Endangered in the ACT in April 2023 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Fish

Macquarie Perch (Macquaria australasica)

• Conservation Advice for Macquarie Perch.
• The Action Plan for the Macquarie Perch is incorporated within the ACT Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy.

Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus)

• Conservation advice for Silver Perch.
• The Action Plan for the Silver Perch is incorporated within the ACT Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy.

Trout Cod (Maccullochella macquariensis)

• Conservation advice for Trout Cod.
• The Action Plan for the Trout Cod is incorporated within the ACT Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy.

Invertebrates

Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper (Keyacris scurra)

• Conservation Advice for Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper.
• The Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper was listed as Endangered in the ACT in April 2023 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Plants

Baeuerlen's Gentian (Gentiana baeuerlenii)

• Conservation Advice for the Baeuerlen's Gentian.
• The Action Plan for the Baeuerlen's Gentian is incorporated within the ACT Native Grassland Conservation Strategy.

Button Wrinklewort (Rutidosis leptorhynchoides)

• Conservation Advice for the Button Wrinklewort.
• The Action Plan for the Button Wrinklewort is incorporated within the ACT Native Grassland Conservation Strategy.

Ginninderra Peppercress (Lepidium ginninderrense)

• The Action Plan for the Ginninderra Peppercress is incorporated within the ACT Native Grassland Conservation Strategy.

Murrumbidgee Bossiaea (Bossiaea grayi)

• The Action Plan for the Murrumbidgee Bossiaea is incorporated within the ACT Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy.

Small Purple Pea (Swainsona recta)

• Conservation Advice for the Small Purple Pea.
• The Action Plan for the Small Purple Pea is incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Tarengo Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum petilum)

• Conservation Advice for the Tarengo Leek Orchid.
• The Action Plan for the Tarengo Leek Orchid is incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Tuggeranong Lignum (Muehlenbeckia tuggeranong)

• Conservation Advice for the Tuggeranong Lignum.
• The Action Plan for the Tuggeranong Lignum is incorporated within the ACT Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy.

Vulnerable

Mammals

Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus maculatus)

• Conservation Advice for the Spotted-tailed Quoll.
• Action Plan for Spotted-tailed Quoll 2019.

Broad-toothed Rat (mainland) (Mastacomys fuscus mordicus)

• Conservation Advice for the Broad-toothed Rat.
• The Broad-toothed Rat was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)

• Conservation Advice for the Grey-headed Flying-fox.
• The Grey-headed Flying-fox was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

New Holland Mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae)

• Conservation Advice for the New Holland Mouse.
• The New Holland Mouse was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Yellow-bellied Glider (Petaurus australis australis)

• Conservation Advice for the Yellow-bellied Glider.
• The Yellow-bellied Glider was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT April 2023 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Birds

Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus victoriae)

• Conservation Advice for the Brown Treecreeper.
• Actions for the conservation of the habitat of the Brown Treecreeper are incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Glossy Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami lathami)

• Conservation Advice for the Glossy Black-cockatoo.
• Action Plan No. 33 Glossy Black-cockatoo.

Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata cucullata)

• Conservation Advice for the Hooded Robin.
• Actions for the conservation of the habitat of the Hooded Robin are incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)

• Conservation Advice for the Little Eagle.
• Action Plan No. 35 Little Eagle.
• Little Eagle conservation and research.

Painted Honeyeater (Grantiella picta)

• Conservation Advice for the Painted Honeyeater.
• Actions for the conservation of the habitat of the Painted Honeyeater are incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Pilotbird (Pycnoptilus floccosus)

• Conservation Advice for the Pilotbird.
• The Pilotbird was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in April 2023 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang)

• Conservation Advice for the Scarlet Robin.
• The Action Plan for the Scarlet Robin is incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Superb Parrot (Polytelis swainsonii)

• Conservation Advice for the Superb Parrot.
• The Action Plan for the Superb Parrot is incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

Varied Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera)

• Conservation Advice for the Varied Sittella.
• Actions for the conservation of the habitat of the Varied Sittella are incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor)

• Conservation Advice for the White-winged Triller.
• Actions for the conservation of the habitat of the White-winged Triller are incorporated within the Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.

White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus)

• Conservation advice for the White-throated Needletail.

Reptiles

Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella)

• Conservation Advice for Pink-tailed Worm-lizard.
• Action Plan for the Pink-tailed Worm-lizard 2017.

Striped Legless Lizard (Delma impar)

• Conservation Advice for Striped Legless Lizard.
• The Action Plan for the Striped Legless Lizard is incorporated within the ACT Native Grassland Conservation Strategy.

Amphibians

Alpine Tree Frog (Litoria verreauxii alpina)

• Conservation Advice for the Alpine Tree Frog.
• The Alpine Tree Frog was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea)

• Conservation Advice for the Green and Golden Bell Frog.
• The Green and Golden Bell Frog was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.
• Locally extinct.

Southern Bell Frog (Litoria raniformis)

• Conservation Advice for the Southern Bell Frog.
• The Southern Bell Frog was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.
• Locally extinct.

Fish

Two-spined Blackfish (Gadopsis bispinosus)

• Conservation advice for Two-spined Blackfish.
• The Action Plan for the Two-spined Blackfish is incorporated within the ACT Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy.

Invertebrates

Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana)

• Conservation Advice for Golden Sun Moth.
• The Golden Sun Moth was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in April 2023 to align with the Commonwealth listing.
• The Action Plan for the Golden Sun Moth is incorporated within the ACT Native Grassland Conservation Strategy and Action Plans.

Murray River Crayfish (Euastacus armatus)

• Conservation advice for Murray River Crayfish.
• The Action Plan for the Murray River Crayfish is incorporated within the ACT Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy.

Perunga Grasshopper (Perunga ochracea)

• Conservation Advice Perunga Grasshopper.
• The Action Plan for the Preguna Grasshopper is incorporated within the ACT Native Grassland Conservation Strategy.

Plants

Austral Toadflax (Thesium australe)

• Conservation Advice for the Austral Toadflax.
• The Austral Toadflax was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.
• Locally extinct.

Black Gum (Eucalyptus aggregate)

• Conservation Advice for the Black Gum.
• The Black Gum was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Pale Pomaderris (Pomaderris pallida)

• Conservation Advice for the Pale Pomaderris.
• The Pale Pomaderris was listed as Vulnerable in the ACT in May 2019 to align with the Commonwealth listing.

Regionally conservation dependent

Mammals

Eastern Bettong (Bettongia gaimardi)

• Conservation Advice for the Eastern Bettong.

Threatened Ecological Communities

The formal list of threatened ecological communities in the ACT is published in NI2020-301 on the ACT legislation register. There are currently three listed ecological communities in the ACT: Natural Temperate Grassland, Yellow-box/Red-gum Grassy Woodland, and High Country Bogs and Associated Fens.

An ecological community may be listed as:

• collapsed
• critically endangered
• endangered
• vulnerable
• provisional

Threatened ecological communities of the ACT

Endangered

High Country Bogs and Associated Fens

The ACT High Country Bogs and Associated Fens (bogs and fens) community is consistent with the Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens ecological community listed nationally under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 but includes some bogs and fens at lower elevation. The bogs and fens community is defined by the presence or absence of Sphagnum spp. on a peat substratum. Sphagnum is not always a major floristic component, and there are some sites in the community where Sphagnum has become depleted or been lost as a result of disturbance. In these cases, the site is considered part of the community if other key species are present and a peat substratum is evident (see the Conservation Advice). A Draft ACT Action Plan is currently under development and was open for public consultation 13 December 2022 – 8 March 2023 and is expected to be finalised towards the end of 2023.

Critically endangered

Natural Temperate Grassland

• Nature Conservation (Native Grassland) Action Plans 2017.
• Conservation advice.

A naturally occurring grassland of the temperate zone, dominated by native perennial tussock grasses, with associated native herbs and native fauna.

Yellow Box/Red Gum Grassy Woodland

• Nature Conservation (Native Woodland) Action Plans 2019.
• Conservation advice.

A naturally occurring woodland of the temperate zone, in which Yellow Box co-occurs with Blakely's Red Gum. It includes the species rich understorey of native tussock grasses, herbs and scattered shrubs, together with a large number of native animal species.

Key Threatening Processes

A threatening process may be listed as a key threatening process. Listing is formal recognition of a conservation threat.

• Key Threatening Processes List 2019

Loss of mature native trees

• Conservation Advice
• Nature Conservation (Loss of Mature Native Trees Key Threatening Process) Action Plan 2023

In 2018 the 'Loss of Mature Native Trees (including hollow-bearing trees) and a Lack of Recruitment' was listed as a key threatening process (NI2018-538 - Nature Conservation Key Threatening Processes List 2018 (No 1)). The significant loss of mature trees was determined by the ACT Scientific Committee to be adversely affecting the Superb Parrot (Polytelis swainsonii), Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), Glossy Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) and Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides); these species are all listed as Vulnerable in the ACT.

Unnatural Fragmentation of Habitats

• Conservation Advice.

In 2019 the ‘Unnatural Fragmentation of Habitats' was listed as a key threatening process (NI2019-822 - Nature Conservation Key Threatening Processes List 2019). The significant unnatural fragmentation of habitat was determined by the ACT Scientific Committee to be adversely affecting the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympanocrytis lineata – currently listed as Tympanocrytis pinguicolla and under reassessment for probable uplisting)) and the Macquarie Perch (Macquaria australasica). These species are both currently listed as Endangered in the ACT.

Nominations

Any person or organisation may make a nomination to the ACT Scientific Committee requesting that the Committee assess a species, ecological community or threatening process for listing. The criteria for listing threatened species and ecological communities are based on the equivalent IUCN criteria and are published in these instruments:

• DI2016-254 - Threatened Native Species Eligibility Criteria
• DI2016-255 - Threatened Ecological Communities Eligibility Criteria
• DI2016-256 - Key Threatening Processes Eligibility Criteria

Conservation Advice and Action Plans

A Conservation Advice is a document prepared to accompany the listing of a new species. A draft of each action plan must be released for public comment. Conservation advice are legal instruments and can be found on the ACT legislation register.

Following the listing of a species, ecological community or key threatening process, the Minister decides if an Action Plan is required to be prepared and implemented by the Conservator of Flora and Fauna (Conservator) for a listed threatened species, ecological community, or key threatening process. The Conservator is required to provide a report on the monitoring of the effectiveness of action plans at least every five years. The Scientific Committee must review an action plan every ten years after the plan commences.

More information

If you would like further information about making a nomination:

Phone: Access Canberra on 13 22 81

Email: ScientificCommittee@act.gov.au

Post: Secretariat - ACT Scientific Committee
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate
GPO Box 158
Canberra ACT 2601