Mallee emu-wren (Stipiturus mallee) - removal from vulnerable species list

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to remove the Mallee Emu-wren, Stipiturus mallee Campbell (1908), from Schedule 2 of the Act by omitting reference to this species as a Vulnerable Species. The omission of species from the Schedules is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. The Mallee Emu-wren, Stipiturus mallee, is currently listed as a Vulnerable Species on Schedule 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act.

2. At the time of listing, the Mallee Emu-wren was believed to occur in south-western New South Wales (NSW). It has since been brought to the attention of the Scientific Committee that no records are known for the species from NSW and no museum specimens exist for NSW. It is therefore not eligible for consideration under the Threatened Species Conservation Act as it is not known to occur in NSW.

3. The Mallee Emu-wren is restricted and rare. Nationally, it is listed as Vulnerable under the Commonwealth Endangered Species Protection Act. Recent records are known from north-western Victoria close to the NSW border, although it appears that the species has not crossed the Murray River to exploit potentially suitable mallee habitat in south-western NSW.

4. There has been some contention as to the taxonomic distinction between the Mallee Emu-wren and the central Australian Rufous-Crowned Emu-wren, Stipiturus ruficeps Campbell (1899), with the Mallee Emu-wren considered a sub-species  Stipiturus ruficeps mallee. The two forms are now recognised at the species level (Christidis and Boles, 1994).

5. In view of points 2, 3 and 4 above, the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the Mallee Emu-wren should be omitted from Schedule 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act as it is not known to occur in NSW.

References

Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E., 1994, The Taxonomy and Species of Birds of Australia and its Territories, Royal Australian Ornithologists Union, Melbourne.

Proposed Gazettal date: 7/7/00
Exhibition period: 7/7/00 - 11/8/00