Superb Fairywren

## Description

The superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus ) is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia. It is a sedentary and territorial species, also exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism; the male in breeding plumage has a striking bright blue forehead, ear coverts, mantle, and tail, with a black mask and black or dark blue throat. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown in colour; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous, as all dull-coloured birds were taken for females. Six subspecies groups are recognized: three larger and darker forms from Tasmania, Flinders and King Island respectively, and three smaller and paler forms from mainland Australia and Kangaroo Island.

Like other fairywrens, the superb fairywren is notable for several peculiar behavioural characteristics; the birds are socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, meaning that although they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner will mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings. Male wrens pluck yellow petals and display them to females as part of a courtship display.

The superb fairywren can be found in almost any area that has at least a little dense undergrowth for shelter, including grasslands with scattered shrubs, moderately thick forest, woodland, heaths, and domestic gardens. It has adapted well to the urban environment and is common in suburban Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane. The superb fairywren eats mostly insects and supplements its diet with seeds.

The superb fairywren was named 'Australian Bird of the Year' for 2021, after a survey conducted by Birdlife Australia saw the species narrowly defeat the tawny frogmouth with a margin of 666 votes (over 400,000 votes were cast in total).

## Appearance

The Superb fairywren is a common and familiar bird in south-eastern Australia. The males in breeding plumage have a striking bright blue forehead, ear coverts, mantle, and tail, with a black mask and black or dark blue throat. Females, immatures, and non-breeding males are a plain fawn color with a lighter underbelly and a fawn (females and immatures) or dull greyish blue (males) tail. The bill is brown in females and juveniles and black in males after their first winter.

## Distribution

Superb fairywrens are found throughout most of the south-eastern corner of the continent, from the south-east of South Australia (including Kangaroo Island and Adelaide) and the tip of the Eyre Peninsula, through all of Victoria, Tasmania, coastal and sub-coastal New South Wales, and Queensland, through the Brisbane area and extending inland - north to the Dawson River and west to Blackall. These birds inhabit almost any area that has at least a little dense undergrowth for shelter, including grasslands with scattered shrubs, moderately thick forest, woodland, heaths, and domestic gardens. They have adapted well to the urban environment and are common in suburban Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne.

## Behavior

Superb fairywrens live in small social groups consisting of 3 to 5 birds that maintain and defend their small territories year-round. These groups include a social pair with one or more male or female helper birds that were hatched in the territory and may not necessarily be the offspring of the main pair. These birds assist in defending the territory and feeding and rearing the young. Members of the group roost side-by-side in dense cover as well as engage in mutual preening. Superb fairywrens are active and restless feeders; they are active during the day and feed mainly on open ground near the shelter, but also through the lower foliage and accompany their foraging with song. They move with a series of jaunty hops and bounces. During the heat of the day group members often shelter and rest together, however, when the winter comes and food is harder to find they spend the day foraging continuously. Superb fairywrens communicate with other members of the group primarily for advertising and mobbing or defending a territory. Their alarm call is a series of brief sharp chits, universally given and understood by small birds in response to predators. Females also emit a 'purr' while incubating.

## Diet

Superb fairywrens are carnivores, mainly insectivores. They eat a wide range of small creatures (mostly insects such as ants, grasshoppers, shield bugs, flies, weevils, and various larvae) as well as small quantities of seeds, flowers, and fruit.

## Reproduction

Superb fairywrens are socially monogamous but they exhibit a polygynandrous (promiscuous) mating system; pairs bond for life, though both males and females regularly mate with other individuals. Young are often raised not by the pair alone, but with other males who also mated with the pair's female assisting. Breeding occurs from spring through to late summer. Males perform courtship displays which include the 'sea horse flight', named for its seahorse-like undulations. During this exaggerated flight, the male - with his neck extended and his head feathers erect - tilts his body from horizontal to vertical, descends slowly, and springs upwards by rapidly beating his wings after alighting on the ground. The 'face fan' display involves the flaring of the blue ear tufts by erecting the feathers. Superb fairywrens build their nest close to the ground, under 1 m (3.3 ft), and in thick vegetation. These are round or domed structures made of loosely woven grasses and spider webs, with an entrance on one side. Females lay 3 or 4 matte white eggs with reddish-brown splotches and spots; they may lay two or more broods in such extended breeding season. The eggs are usually incubated for 14 days. Newborn chicks are blind, red, and featherless, though quickly darken as feathers grow. Their eyes open by day 5 or 6 and they are fully feathered by day 10. All group members feed the chicks for 10-14 days. Fledglings are able to feed themselves by day 40 but remain in the family group as helpers for a year or more; after that, they move to another group or assume a dominant position in the original group. In this role, they feed and care for subsequent broods and also repel cuckoos or predators.

## Population

### Population threats

There are no major threats to Superb fairywrens at present.

### Population number

The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Superb fairywren total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today remain stable.

## Fun Facts for Kids

Superb fairywrens always forage in groups and this is very helpful; this way insects that were disturbed by one bird may be caught by another.

Superb fairywrens may use a 'rodent-run' display to distract predators from nests with chicks. During this display, the bird runs rapidly and voices a continuous alarm call while its head, neck, and tail are lowered, wings held out and feathers fluffed as.

During the reproductive season, males of this and other fairywren species pluck yellow petals, which contrast with their plumage, and show them to female fairy-wrens. Males sometimes show petals to females in other territories even outside the breeding season, presumably to promote themselves.

The foraging style of Superb fairywrens that occurs on the ground or in shrubs that are less than 2 meters high was termed 'hop-searching'. Because this foraging practice makes them vulnerable to predators, birds tend to stick fairly close to cover and always forage in groups.

Superb fairywrens feed their chicks with bigger prey than they eat themselves; this usually includes caterpillars and grasshoppers.