Text Box:             Species Profile                                      Text Box: Other Names: Button-grass wren, Emu wren, Stick tail. Length: 170mm Description: Male: Head: Crown and forehead grey-brown, slightly tinged rufous, eyebrow, lores, chin and throat, bright blue, cheeks greyish with white streaks. Back: grey or gery-brown above, heavily streaked sepia or black. Underparts: warm buff, each feather edged fawn. Tail: grey, filamentous. Bill: dark brown. Legs: light brown. Iris: brown or red brown. Female:Similar to male but lacks blue on throat and chest - chin and throat light buff.   Text Box: Immature: Similar to female, but immature male has throat and upper breast pale blue grey. Variation: Negligible, birds from Dirk Hartog Island with streaks on head much reduced. Voice: Song: Faint high reeling trill, varing in pitch and tempo. Calls: Series of five or six high piecing rapid notes, so thin and high as to be inaudible to some people, sometimes the first two notes paired, the rest running together. Habitat: variety of moist, low, dense, scrubby heathlands, Western Australia population occur in more arid habitats, such as low scrub on sandhills Breeding:August-December Nest:Near ground in grass tussock or thick shrub. Text Box: Oval-shaped with rounded side entrance,constructed of grasses, lined with fine grass Eggs:Two to Four, usually three, dull white, sparsely marked with irregular spots of pale brick-red,17x12mm Food: Insects and other arthropods Habits: Sedentary, pairs or small parties, but often occurs in loose colonies, shy, skulking, spends most of its time low in dense cover. Flight weak, tail usually cocked. Endemic Text Box:   Text Box:                  Emu Wrens      "Should they be kept in captivity? If so, by whom?" With the introduction of the new reporting format (put forward and produced by the Softbill Group of WA) for the Southern Emu Wren Breeding program, I thought it might be timely to talk about "Emu Wrens" and in particular, Southern Emu Wrens. In 1997 the Softbill Group of WA entered into an agreement with the Dept of Conservation and Land Management to commence the captive breeding program for the Southern Emu Wren. At that time breeders (WA) nominated themselves as program members, it was also at this point, that serious concerns were raised about "who should be involved in the program". The concerns centred around "experience" or more accurately, lack of it, this was raised due to the nomination from very inexperienced breeders. As this was our first breeding program it was, and is, very important to have the best and most experienced breeders involved, particularly with this species.  Continued next page.. We are now almost FIVE YEARS into the breeding program and to date, there has been NO recorded breeding of the Southern Emu Wren, WHY????????? For those current program members,it may be well and truly time to seek help and advice for experienced breeders, it may also be time to look closely at the aviary they are kept in and their diet. As a key player in the conception and introduction of this program, and having kept this species in 1997,(had to give them up, due to moving house) I can state that this species is suitable for captivity, but only for the most experienced softbill breeders.The following are the 4 very basic rules which must be followed to keep and BREED Southern Emu Wrens in captivity. (1) They must be housed on their own (do not mix with any other species of any bird) (2) The aviary must be of reasonable size (20 x 10 x 10ft MINIMUM) and planted with LIVE, DENSE,vegetation. (3) They require an abundance of small live food (ABUNDANCE being the key word) (4) Do not touch, change,alter or move any article in the aviary once they are released. The Softbill Group of WA will be far more involved in the breeding program in 2002 and will recommend further changes to help make this program a success. My new aviaries are now ready (Built new house-second move) so I am about to take on the Southerns again, I may have convinced another breeder to do the same, so we may see success at last? This article may seem direct or even harsh, particularly on current program members, but it must be said that we are under pressure from CALM to breed this species as this is the bench mark for any and all future breeding programs, so after almost 5 Years with no results, the tough questions need to be asked In the April magazine, we will be publishing the first official status report from CALM for the Southern Emu Wren breeding program and then subsequently every six months. We intend to publish an extensive article on the Southern Emu Wren in the April magazine, compiled form input from, Private breeders, Zoo's,Wildlife parks and from existing publications. We hope this article will constructively help those current program members and any future members. Brett Robinson

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Softbill Group of WA February 2002 Magazine

 

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