Distribution and Habitat
The Mallee Emu-wren is restricted to open mallee woodland with spinifex understory in northwestern Victoria and southeastern South Australia. This region is rich in Triodia or as it is commonly known spinifex. The spinifex grass often grows to 1 meter in height and provides the optimal habitat for the Mallee Emu Wren (Howe 1933). Formerly classified as a Vulnerable species species by the IUCN, recent research shows that its numbers are decreasing more and more rapidly. It is consequently uplisted to Endangered status in 2008. The Mallee Emu Wren is listed as nationally endangered under the Environmental Protection and Conservation act of 1999. (Australia) The current estimated total population size is approximately 4,000 birds. Although this species is widely dispersed throughout the Murray Sunset Reserve its home ranges are patchy throughout the 488 km¬2 (188.417 mi²) reserve. (Brown 2008) Recent studies have concluded that the species is wider spread than thought before. However the species is much rarer in the southern regions of the preserve (Brown 2008). Their dispersion is heavily connected to the prevalence of Triodia. Triodia is a plant genus that is grass like and forms a hummock. This biotic factor is the most heavily influencing factor in the dispersion of Malle Emu Wren (Brown 2008).
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