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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 (incl. tail 11-12 cm); wing span: 9-19 cm Body mass: 6-9 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.16-0.18

Australia: Family Group 16 Family Group 16 Table Purple-crowned Fairy-wren White-winged Fairy-wren Splendid Fairy-wren Superb Fairy-wren Variegated Fairy-wren Purple-backed Fairy-wren Blue-breasted Fairy-wren Lovely Fairy-wren Red-winged Fairy-wren Red-backed Fairy-wren Southern Emu-wren Rufous-crowned Emu-wren Carpentarian Grasswren Eyrean Grasswren Striated Grasswren Thick-billed Grasswren Western Grasswren Dusky Grasswren Kalkadoon Grasswren Grey Grasswren Black Grasswren Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Southern Emu-wrens are very small, grey-brown birds with long, wispy tails that consist of six filamentous feathers. Their backs and heads are striated brown and dark-grey, while the front and flanks are brown and the belly and vent are fawn-grey. The legs and feet are orange-brown, the bill is dark-grey. The plumage of Southern Emu-wrens is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Male Southern Emu-wrenss have blue feathers around their eyes and a blue "bib", females don't. Otherwise the two sexes are identical. The top of the head, from frons to the cap, is rufous, while the ear coverts are dark-grey with some white streaking. The front is warm buff, while the back, including the nape of the neck, and wing coverts are brown, boldly streaked dark-grey. The long, wispy tail is brown. Both sexes have dark irises. The males' bill is black, while females have a grey bill with a darker tip. The legs and feet are the colour of skin. Juveniles closely resemble adults, with slightly paler colours. Southern Emu-wrens are unusual in that their juveniles are already dimorphic. Juvemile males have a white bib while and no blue around the eyes, while juvemile females don't have a bib.

Taxonomy, classification See Southern Emu-wren at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Southern Emu-wren is available HERE . Southern Emu-wrens are endemic to Australia. They populate the coastal fringe from Fraser Island, QLD, in the East, along the East and South coast, to Exmouth, WA, in the West. No Southern Emu-wrens are found along the South coast between Eyre peninsula, SA, and Eucla, WA. There are about 8 races (details are still under review). Between Fraser Island, QLD, and Warrnambool, VIC, including the major islands along Bass Strait, nominate race "malachurus" is found. Farther to the West, some argue race "polionotum" is found, to South of Adelaide, SA. Around Adelaide, SA, there is race "intermedius", on Kangaroo Island race "halmaturinus". On the tip of Eyre peninsula one finds race "parimeda". The range of race "westernensis" extends from Eucla, WA, to about Zuytdorp NR, WA. Along the peninsulas and islands of the western tip of WA, including Dirk Hartog Island, one finds race "hartogi". The range of race "littleri" is limited to roughly the western half of Tasmania. Southern Emu-wrens have a strong preference for dense cover, as found, for example in coastal heath, swamps and dense undergrowth in temperate forest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "malachurus" B. Hensen reports spotting Southern Emu-wrens, nominate race "malachurus", near Katoomba, NSW, in December 2014. M. Eaton reports finding a family clan of Southern Emu-wrens, race "malachurus", at Bonny Hills, near Port Macquarie, NSW, in January 2021. Race "westernensis" J. Greaves reports finding Southern Emu-wrens, race "westernensis", at Wilyabrup Beach, WA, in December 2016, and at Cheynes Beach, Albany, WA, in June 2020.

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

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]

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]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair

Note that in the case of the Southern Emu-wren low wing loading does NOT mean that they are good flyers. Their 6 extremely long tail feathers do not have interlocking hooks. That causes them to produce high air resistance, which leads to excessive tail drag. Therefore, their flight is restricted to short, often downward, hops from one shrub to another.

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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