Rufous-crowned Emuwren

1. Males feature a bright sky-blue throat and prominent rufous crown.

2. Females have subdued colouration with yellowish buff throats.

3. Both sexes possess long filamentous tail feathers double their body length.

This bird is primarily insectivorous, foraging close to the ground in spinifex tussocks or shrubs using a hop-searching method. It is secretive and elusive, often staying within dense vegetation. Rufous-crowned emu-wrens are typically seen in pairs or small groups and are known to utter soft, high-pitched calls while foraging. Breeding occurs from August to October, with nests built by females in spinifex hummocks using grass stems and spider webs.

The rufous-crowned emu-wren inhabits Australia’s arid interior regions, including the Simpson Desert, Barkly Tableland, Pilbara, and isolated areas in southwestern Queensland. Its preferred habitat is dense spinifex grasslands on sand dunes or rocky hills with sparse shrub cover.