Fairy-wrens (Maluridae)
Variegated Fairy-wren (Malurus lamberti) - HBW 12, p. 519
French: Mérion de Lambert
German: Weißbauch-Staffelschwanz
Spanish: Maluro Variegado
Other common names: Lavender-flanked Wren/Fairy-wren (dulcis); Purple-backed Wren/Fairy-wren (assimilis); Rogers’s Fairy-wren (rogersi)
Taxonomy: Malurus lamberti Vigors and Horsfield, 1827, no locality = Sydney area, New South Wales, Australia.
Part of the “chestnut-shouldered group”, which includes also M. amabilis, M. pulcherrimus and M. elegans. Forms a superspecies with M. amabilis; sometimes considered conspecific, mainly on account of blue female plumage of latter species and of races dulcis and rogersi, but protein data support treatment as separate species. Geographical variation in colours of male and female plumage considerable, and races were at one time regarded as representing four separate species, with many additional races described. Race assimilis intergrades with.. View all taxonomy...
Part of the “chestnut-shouldered group”, which includes also M. amabilis, M. pulcherrimus and M. elegans. Forms a superspecies with M. amabilis; sometimes considered conspecific, mainly on account of blue female plumage of latter species and of races dulcis and rogersi, but protein data support treatment as separate species. Geographical variation in colours of male and female plumage considerable, and races were at one time regarded as representing four separate species, with many additional races described. Race assimilis intergrades with both dulcis and rogersi, and also, in E, with coastal nominate race. Five subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- rogersi Mathews, 1912 - Kimberley region, in NW Australia.
- dulcis Mathews, 1908 - Arnhem Land, in N Australia.
- bernieri Ogilvie-Grant, 1909 - Bernier I, in Shark Bay, off W coast of Western Australia.
- rogersi Mathews, 1912 - Kimberley region, in NW Australia.
- dulcis Mathews, 1908 - Arnhem Land, in N Australia.
- bernieri Ogilvie-Grant, 1909 - Bernier I, in Shark Bay, off W coast of Western Australia.
- assimilis North, 1901 - mainland Australia W of Great Dividing Range.
- lamberti Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 - E Australia E of Great Dividing Range.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Male and Female preening including allopreening. Locality Lake Tabourie, New South Wales, Australia
Stephen Wallace 15 October 2011 31 weeks ago 35 sec 4.8 -
Female preening - male in background. Locality Lake Tabourie, New South Wales, Australia
Stephen Wallace 15 October 2011 31 weeks ago 41 sec 4.7 -
A dominant breeding male, moving among vegetation Locality Fivebough Swamp, Leeton, New South Wales, Australia (ssp assimilis)
Geoffrey Dabb 30 November 2005 5 years ago 27 sec 4.6 -
A female perched looking around. Locality Bronzewing Reserve, Victoria, Australia (ssp assimilis)
Josep del Hoyo 30 October 2009 1 year ago 21 sec 4.3 -
A sub-dominant breeding male, on different perches Locality Fivebough Swamp, Leeton, New South Wales, Australia (ssp assimilis)
Geoffrey Dabb 30 November 2005 5 years ago 29 sec 4.3 -
A female-plumaged individual on a branch and foraging on the ground (then at 25% speed). Locality Inskip Point, Rainbow Beach, Queensland, Australia (ssp lamberti)
Josep del Hoyo 16 October 2010 1 year ago 30 sec 4.2
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Male and female together and the male feeding her
Locality Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 year ago 4.9 -
Female, carrying food
Locality Binya State Forest, Griffith, New South Wales, Australia (ssp assimilis)
Geoffrey Dabb 31 October 2011 15 weeks ago 4.5 -
Female Variegated Fairy-wren on log
Locality Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 September 2010 1 year ago 4.5 -
male bird presenting on a limb
Locality Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 November 2010 1 year ago 4.4 -
Male Variegated fairy-wren on branch
Locality Oxley Creek Common Reserve, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 July 2010 1 year ago 4.3 -
female wren presenting on a grass stem
Locality Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia
David Taylor 1 year ago 4.2
- No sound recordings available yet
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