Rufous-crowned Emu-wren - BirdForum Opus

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Photo by Mat & Cathy
Santa Teresa Rd, nr Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, April 2009

Identification

12-13 cms (including tail)
6.5-7.5 cms (excluding tail) - would be Australia's smallest bird, if not for the tail.
The lightest Australian bird, weighing less than 5g.
Male is deep violet/blue set against rufous

Australia- From north-west coast through the interior of the continent to inland Queensland. Thought to be common.

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Found in spinifex bushes, including on dunes, ranges and the plains.

Active early. Uses spinifex as a vantage point, before disappearing into cover. Makes short flights over the bushes.

Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
Field Guide to Australia Birds (Michael Morcombe, 2003)

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rufous-crowned Emu-wren. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous-crowned_Emu-wren

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