Fairy-wrens (Maluridae)
Splendid Fairy-wren (Malurus splendens) - HBW 12, p. 521
French: Mérion splendide
German: Türkisstaffelschwanz
Spanish: Maluro Espléndido
Other common names: Banded Superb Warbler, Splendid Wren; Turquoise Fairy-wren (musgravi); Black-backed Fairy-wren (melanotus)
Taxonomy: Saxicola splendens Quoy and Gaimard, 1830, King George Sound, south-west Australia.
Forms a superspecies with M. cyaneus; these two, together with M. coronatus, constitute the “Australian blue group”. Races originally treated as constituting three separate species, but interbreed wherever they meet. Birds from C Australia long referred to as race callainus, but type specimen for that name is apparently an intergrade, and therefore taxonomically unidentifiable; name replaced by musgravi. As many as seven subspecies described from early collections, but later studies have shown that most represent clinal variation, e.g. whitei (described.. View all taxonomy...
Forms a superspecies with M. cyaneus; these two, together with M. coronatus, constitute the “Australian blue group”. Races originally treated as constituting three separate species, but interbreed wherever they meet. Birds from C Australia long referred to as race callainus, but type specimen for that name is apparently an intergrade, and therefore taxonomically unidentifiable; name replaced by musgravi. As many as seven subspecies described from early collections, but later studies have shown that most represent clinal variation, e.g. whitei (described from interior New South Wales) is regarded as representing part of clinal variation of melanotus, and aridus (interior of Western Australia) is now included within nominate. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- splendens (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830) - subtropical W & WC Australia.
- musgravi Mathews, 1922 - C Australia from C & SW Northern Territory S to South Australia (E to Flinders Ranges).
- emmottorum Schodde & Mason, 1999 - C Queensland (Cooper-Diamantina Divide, Opalton).
- melanotus Gould, 1841 - S Queensland, inland New South Wales, extreme NW Victoria and SE South Australia (E from Flinders Ranges).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A breeding male in a Callitris tree Locality Binya State Forest, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia (ssp melanotus)
Geoffrey Dabb 30 September 2004 5 years ago 36 sec 4.5 -
A male perched looking around and flying away. Locality Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Victoria, Australia (ssp melanotus)
Josep del Hoyo 29 October 2009 1 year ago 26 sec 4.5 -
A breeding male in a Callitris forest, moving among branches and then singing Locality Binya State Forest, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia (ssp melanotus)
Geoffrey Dabb 31 October 2005 5 years ago 49 sec 4.5 -
A breeding male displaying in a Callitris forest Locality Binya State Forest, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia (ssp melanotus)
Geoffrey Dabb 31 October 2005 5 years ago 7 sec 4.4 -
A male perched, preening and flying away. Locality Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Victoria, Australia (ssp melanotus)
Josep del Hoyo 29 October 2009 1 year ago 32 sec 4.2 -
A male singing in a tree. Locality Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Victoria, Australia (ssp melanotus)
Josep del Hoyo 29 October 2009 1 year ago 29 sec 4
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male perched
Locality Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Chris and Megan Perkins 6 November 2007 3 years ago 4.4 -
Male in breeding plumage perched
Locality Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Chris and Megan Perkins 6 November 2007 3 years ago 4.3 -
Male in African Box-thorn
Locality Binya State Forest, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia (ssp melanotus)
Geoffrey Dabb 2 November 2011 15 weeks ago 4 -
A pair of Splendid Fairy-wrens during a courtship display
Locality Round Hill Nature Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Rhonda Hansch 27 October 2011 21 weeks ago 3.8 -
Female, in African Box-thorn
Locality Binya State Forest, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia (ssp melanotus)
Geoffrey Dabb 2 November 2011 15 weeks ago 3.7 -
On the ground.
Locality Denmark, Western Australia, Australia
Kerry Stuart 27 September 2010 1 year ago 3.7
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A male singing. Locality Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, Victoria, Australia
(ssp melanotus)
Josep del Hoyo 29 October 2009 1 year ago 4.5 -
Contact calls from birds concealed in a bush. Locality Wyperfeld National Park, Victoria, Australia
(ssp melanotus)
Nick Talbot 20 March 2012 9 weeks ago 2
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