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16

Southern Emu-wren

(Stipiturus malachurus)
Alternate name(s): "Button-grass Wren", "Sticktail", "Emu-wren*"
Aboriginal name(s): Race "polionotum": "tirnwit" [tjapwurrung]
Race "westernensis": "djorrdjilya*", "djodal*"

Size: 15-19 cm; tail length 11-12 cm
Weight: 6-9 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Southern Emu-wren at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "malachurus"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren, tail straight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren, tail cocked (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren swiping its bill clean (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Dorsal view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Southern Emu-wren looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-frontal view of a female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Katoomba, NSW, December 2014]

Close-up lateral view of a female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral view of a female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral view of a female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

MALE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile male Southern Emu-wren begging to be fed (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral view of a juvenile male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral view of a juvenile male Southern Emu-wren begging to be fed (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a juvenile female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Lateral view of a juvenile female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

Race "westernensis"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wilyabrup Beach, WA, December 2016]

Close-up lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren; note the long rictal bristles ["whiskers"] (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wilyabrup Beach, WA, December 2016]

Lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wilyabrup Beach, WA, December 2016]

Lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren with its tail cocked (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wilyabrup Beach, WA, December 2016]

Lateral view of a male Southern Emu-wren with its tail cocked (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, June 2020]

FEMALE

Near-lateral view of a female Southern Emu-wren (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wilyabrup Beach, WA, December 2016]

PAIR

Pair of Southern Emu-wrens hiding in a shrub; male on the left, female on the right (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wilyabrup Beach, WA, December 2016]

Food, Diet

Male Southern Emu-wren bringing food for its male young (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, January 2021]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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