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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Maluridae
  4. ›
  5. Stipiturus
  6. ›
  7. Rufous-crowned Emu-wren
Rufous-crowned Emu-wren
Photo · J G Keulemans (1842-1912)

BirdUp · Species

Rufous-crowned Emu-wren

Stipiturus ruficepsCampbell, AJ, 1899

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Maluridae
Genus
Stipiturus

At a glance

The Rufous-crowned Emu-wren is a tiny bird, about 11–15 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
11–15 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Rufous-crowned Emu-wren look like?

The Rufous-crowned Emu-wren is a tiny bird, about 11–15 cm long and weighing 4–7 g.

The rufous-crowned emu-wren is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
11–15 cm
Weight
4–6.5 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Rufous-crowned Emu-wren?

The Rufous-crowned Emu-wren is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Rufous-crowned Emu-wren eat?

The Rufous-crowned Emu-wren feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

5 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Rufous-crowned Emu-wren live in Australia?

The Rufous-crowned Emu-wren is endemic to Australia, recorded across 23 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingWest-central WA to south-west QLD and north-central SA (west and central Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Non-breeding
  • Resident

5 regions recorded