BirdUp · Species
Purple-backed Fairywren
Malurus assimilisNorth, 1901
Updated
At a glance
The Purple-backed Fairywren, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.
- Origin
- Endemic
- Best seen
- Year-round
- Commonness
- Endemic
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
The purple-backed fairywren is a fairywren that is native to Australia. Described by Alfred John North in 1901, it has four recognised subspecies. In a species that exhibits sexual dimorphism, the brightly coloured breeding male has chestnut shoulders and azure crown and ear coverts, while non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, although females of two subspecies have mainly blue-grey plumage. Distributed over much of the Australian continent, the purple-backed fairywren is found in scrubland with plenty of vegetation providing dense cover.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
03 · When
When to look
When can you see a Purple-backed Fairywren?
The Purple-backed Fairywren is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
4 photos
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