BirdUp · Species
Purple-crowned Fairywren
Malurus coronatusGould, 1858
Updated
At a glance
The Purple-crowned Fairywren is a small bird, about 14–15 cm long, listed as Least Concern and endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.
- Size
- 14–15 cm
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
- Origin
- Endemic
- Best seen
- Year-round
- Commonness
- Endemic
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
What does a Purple-crowned Fairywren look like?
The Purple-crowned Fairywren is a small bird, about 14–15 cm long and weighing 9–13 g.
The purple-crowned fairywren is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is the largest of the twelve species in the genus Malurus and is endemic to northern Australia. The species name is derived from the Latin word cǒrōna meaning "crown", owing to the distinctive purple circle of crown feathers sported by breeding males. Genetic evidence shows that the purple-crowned fairywren is most closely related to the superb fairywren and splendid fairywren. Purple-crowned fairywrens can be distinguished from other fairywrens in northern Australia by the presence of cheek patches and the deep blue colour of their perky tails.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
03 · When
When to look
When can you see a Purple-crowned Fairywren?
The Purple-crowned 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
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
What does a Purple-crowned Fairywren eat?
The Purple-crowned Fairywren feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
3 photos
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