Fleurieu Peninsula Southern Emu-wren

Stipiturus malachurus intermedius has greater than 80% of its range within Mayo

The Southern Emu-wren has an overall length of approximately 16-18 cm, including the exceptionally long tail of about 10-11 cm. Body mass is generally 7-8 g. It is sexually dimorphic, i.e. males and females differ in appearance. In the male, the upper-parts are grey-brown with thick dark brown to black streaks, extending from the crown to the rump, and a rufous-brown forehead. The eye-brow, throat and upper breast are a pale, light blue. The underparts are light brown or tawny-brown except for the belly, which is white. The female is similar to the male in appearance, but has: a light grey-brown to olive-grey forehead; yellow-brown on the eye-brow, throat and upper-breast; and more prominent streaking on the upperparts, particularly on the crown and forehead. These differences are apparent from the time the young leave the nest, with juvenile males able to be distinguished by the pale grey-blue colouring to the eye-brow, throat and upper-breast.¹

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