Superb Fairy-Wren

Malurua cyaneus

Superb Fairy-Wrens can be found in rainforest and scrub, grass and low shrubs, woodland, parks and gardens.

Male plumage is blue along the head, cheeks and back with a black throat, white belly and flecks of blue on the tail. During mating season, the blue becomes iridescent. Females are brown with an orange tint around the eye, tails possess a greenish tinge.

These birds feed in small social groups on insects.

Superb Fairy-Wrens are an interesting species with some unusual traits. Males who sing to their eggs have more attentive chicks, and these birds adjust their egg size in relation to difficult climatic conditions to help their young survive. Females not only sing in regard to mating, but to communicate with other females about territory.