Bird guideSouthern Emuwren

Commonly known as the Mount Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-wren (MLSREW), it is an endangered species under both the EPBC Act (Cwth) and the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (SA).

⚠️SA: Vulnerable

At a glance

FamilyFairywrens
SizeGiant
RarityCommon
HabitatTypically very shy, they live in coastal heathland in southern Australia and are unlikely to be seen unless you are actively looking for them.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from October to March.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by Peter Boesman

Range map

Range map

806visible hotspots
17305visible records
5states
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

Females have dark streaks on the crown and back and are warm buffy-brown underneath. Males are similar, except they have a sky-blue throat. Typically very shy, they live in coastal heathland in southern Australia and are unlikely to be seen unless you are actively looking for them.

Behavior

Tail is much longer and far more spindly than that of fairywrens.

Regional timing

New South Wales
Peak: October to March7,414 records
Western Australia
Peak: September to November3,379 records
Tasmania
Peak: November to February1,102 records
Victoria
Peak: November to April5,139 records
South Australia
Peak: September to June819 records
Queensland
Peak: December to February12 records
Australian Capital Territory
Peak: November to February98 records
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