The mallee emu-wren moults yearly after breeding, and birds have only the one plumage.
Endangered
At a glance
FamilyFairywrens
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatTiny buff-brown bird with enormously long, fine tail, found in areas of mallee woodland with large spinifex clumps in a small area of far western Victoria and adjacent South Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from August to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Frank Lambert
Range map
Range map
80approx hotspots
3622approx records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Crown a clean, rich brown, with streaked back, wings, and cheek; underparts buffy brown. Males have a sky-blue throat. Tail is much longer and far more spindly than tail of fairywrens.
Behavior
The trick to finding this shy species is to find large unburned patches of spinifex, listening carefully for the species’ very thin, faint calls.
Gallery
Regional timing
Victoria
New South Wales
South Australia