A NSW Government website
Environment and Heritage
Environment and Heritage

Threatened species of the Lower Hunter region

The Lower Hunter region contains a diverse range of native habitats and is home to over 65 threatened entities. Learn more about who they are, why they are so important and what you can do to support them.

Cumberland Plain Woodland, forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis)
Image Credit: The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan/S Cottrell
A small grevillea flower with delicate white petals.
Plants

Many plants at risk of extinction in the Hunter Valley are found nowhere else. From the tiny orchid to the towering eucalypt, plants are important sources of food and shelter for native animals.

A regent honeyeater climbing high up a tree
Birds

A diverse range of bird species can be found in the Lower Hunter region, including the regent honeyeater and swift parrot. By pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, and eating insects, birds are vital to a healthy ecosystem.

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), Heathcote National Park
Mammals

Iconic species such as the koala and brush-tailed rock-wallaby are some of the threatened mammals found in the Hunter Valley. Bats, possums, and gliders are equally important species that pollinate our plants and help spread native seeds.

Close-up of a green and brown frog with distinctive markings, sitting on a bed of twigs and dry leaves.
Frogs

The insect-eating frogs of the Hunter Valley play a key role in controlling mosquitoes, flies, and spiders. Frogs are one of the most threatened animal groups in the world and are most easily identified by the sounds they make.

River-Flat Eucalypt Forest on Coastal Floodplains of the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions
Threatened ecological communities

From coastal saltmarsh to lowland rainforest, the various landscapes of the Hunter Valley are home to unique and threatened ecological communities. Protecting these communities is vital to the survival of our threatened species.

Connection to Country

Aboriginal people have a strong spiritual, cultural, physical, and social connection to and custodianship of Country, including its fauna and flora. The lower Hunter Valley includes the lands of the Wonnarua, Awabakal and Worimi people, and it is also a stronghold for the critically endangered regent honeyeater.

Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council have supported and participated in captive-bred regent honeyeaters being released into the wild on their lands within the Tomalpin woodlands.

Watch the Saving the Regent Honeyeater video to find out more about the regent honeyeater and its connection to Wonnarua Country.

Download