Photo: Caroline Jones / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Southern Emu-wren
Stipiturus malachurus
Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 7.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Maluridae Australasian Wrens
- Genus Stipiturus
- Species malachurus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 7.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Maluridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Southern Emu-wren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Southern Emu-wren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus) is a species of bird in the Maluridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU e, s Australia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7.3 g, with a wing length of about 4.2 cm and a tail of around 9.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 687,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Southern Emu-wren?
The Southern Emu-wren is a very small bird that weighs around 7.3 g.
Where does the Southern Emu-wren live?
The Southern Emu-wren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU e, s Australia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Southern Emu-wren belong to?
The Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Southern Emu-wren eat?
The Southern Emu-wren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Southern Emu-wren migrate?
The Southern Emu-wren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Southern Emu-wren endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Southern Emu-wren make?
1 real field recording of the Southern Emu-wren — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Southern Emu-wren's range?
The Southern Emu-wren has a mapped global range of about 687,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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