It's Flora and Fauna Friday: Meet Australia's Mallee Emu-wren

Some wildlife encounters stay with you forever. And my first encounter with the Mallee Emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee) was one of those moments.

Back in 2015 when I was the Threatened Species Commissioner, I took my children to Hattah-Kulkyne National Park in Victoria, hoping to catch a glimpse of this tiny, elusive bird. With its emu-feather like tail, and stunning cornflower-blue face, the Mallee Emu-wren is absolutely adorable. It’s a sight to behold. But it’s also one of the hardest birds to spot. My family had risen at 5am to find this bird. And I was worried my kids, who were very young at the time, might get impatient and scare it off. But instead, it was my then seven-year-old daughter who excitedly pointed and shouted out, “Dad, there they are!”

She was right. A lovely little group of females, led by a striking blue-throated male, flitted through the undergrowth. It was a perfect moment - one I’ll never forget.

Fast forward to 2024, and I was lucky enough to see Mallee Emu-wrens again during my #eBike4Australia ride across the country. Their resilience, surviving in harsh and fire-prone mallee scrublands, reminded me of just how precious and fragile our unique biodiversity is.

Meet the Mallee Emu-wren

• Scientific Name: Stipiturus mallee

• Habitat: Mallee scrublands of north-western Victoria and South Australia

• Size/Weight: About 3-4 times lighter than a Caramello Koala or Fredo Frog

• Diet: Insects and small seeds

• Conservation Status: Endangered, primarily due to habitat destruction and bushfires

Mallee Emu-wrens are tiny but incredibly special. They don’t like flying that much, preferring to stay low and dart through spinifex and mallee shrubs, relying on cover to evade predators. But after habitat destruction, their next biggest threat isn’t foxes or cats - it’s fire. Devastating bushfires in 2014 wiped out over 80% of their Victorian habitat, leaving only a handful of isolated populations. Conservationists and organisations like Bird Life Australia have since been working hard to protect and restore their habitat, including carefully relocating birds to safer areas. Climate change is accelerating their risks from fire. That's one reason I was glad to list them as one of twenty birds for recovery in Australia’s first Threatened Species Strategy.

Like so many of Australia’s endangered species, the Mallee Emu-wren is a reminder of what we stand to lose if we don’t act. Protecting mallee habitats, acting on climate change, managing fire risk, and supporting conservation programs are all critical.

If you enjoyed this post, let me know! Should I keep Flora and Fauna Friday going? Drop a comment and share your favourite Australian wildlife story - I’d love to hear from you.