ABOUT THE SPECIES
Mallee Emu-wrens are one of Australia’s smallest birds, being only 10-15cm big and weighing approximately 5 grams (that’s a teaspoon of sugar). These insectivores have six long emu-like tail feathers and short-rounded wings. They are poor distance flyers, but can move nimbly through dense vegetation and run or flutter at low heights across open ground. Landscape changes including vegetation clearance, introduced species and inappropriate fires regimes, have caused many mallee species to decline. Unfortunately, wildfires during the 2013/14 summer were devastating for the Mallee Emu-wren and the last known South Australian populations became extinct. They are now restricted to three reserves in north-western Victoria. Image courtesy of Tom Hunt.
ABOUT THE ORGANISATION
Zoos SA recently began a captive husbandry program to support both in situ and ex situ conservation for the Mallee Emu-wren. New purpose-built aviaries were built at Monarto Safari Park. We have been housing Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens to allow us to learn about the husbandry and the biology of a similar species, whilst we’re still learning about the fragile wild Mallee population. We have learnt about our techniques for catching, marking and transporting Emu-wrens. With the Threatened Mallee Bird team partners, Zoos SA supported a trial wild-to-wild translocation of Mallee Emu-wren into South Australia, another step trying to improve our conservation tools for this tiny species.
You can vote for the Zoos SA and the Mallee emu-wren right here in The ANiMOZ Aussie Wildlife Vote 2020!