Tuesday, September 7, was National Threatened Species Day, an important date on the calendar to raise awareness of plants and animals that are at risk of extinction.
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In New South Wales alone there are 1000 plants and animals at risk of extinction.
Threatened Species Day also celebrates the conservation work being undertaken by different organisations and community groups around Australia.
To celebrate National Threatened Species Day why not get to know a threatened species.
The Regent Honeyeater is a critically endangered bird with estimates suggesting there is less than 400 individuals remaining in the wild.
Regent Honeyeaters are medium-sized black and yellow birds feeding on nectar, obtained mainly from eucalypts and mistletoe.
Once widespread across Australia, they now exist in small numbers across limited sites from north-eastern Victoria to south-eastern Queensland.
The decline in wild populations of the Regent Honeyeater can be attributed to habitat loss.
The Regent Honeyeater has become a 'flagship species' for conservation in the threatened box-ironbark forests of Victoria and NSW on which it depends.
These stunning birds help maintain healthy populations of our iconic eucalyptus trees through pollination, providing important food and habitat for many other native animals. The decline of the Regent Honeyeater has had a huge impact on the greater ecosystem because these birds are major contributors to the pollination of native plant species.
The plight of this species in the wild has drawn attention to the importance of protecting our beautiful natural forest landscapes. The Regent Honeyeater breeding season runs from July through to January.
Regent Honeyeaters can have between two and three clutches throughout the breeding season with generally two successful chicks per clutch being the norm.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo has a conservation breeding program for this critically endangered species.
The second breeding season is currently underway following a very successful first breeding season which saw 33 chicks hatch with a 100 per cent success rate.
Every chick that hatches in zoo-based breeding programs is critically important to the long-term survival of the species and supports breed for release programs that bolster wild populations.
Health and safety
In line with the latest health advice from NSW Health, Taronga zoos will remain closed until Thursday September 30.
