Photo: JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Emperor Fairywren
Malurus cyanocephalus
Emperor Fairywren (Malurus cyanocephalus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Emperor Fairywren (Malurus cyanocephalus) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 12.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Maluridae Australasian Wrens
- Genus Malurus
- Species cyanocephalus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Maluridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Emperor Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Emperor Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Emperor Fairywren (Malurus cyanocephalus) is a species of bird in the Maluridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.4 g, with a wing length of about 5.8 cm and a tail of around 5.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 491,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Emperor Fairywren?
The Emperor Fairywren is a very small bird that weighs around 12.4 g.
Where does the Emperor Fairywren live?
The Emperor Fairywren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Guinea, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Emperor Fairywren belong to?
The Emperor Fairywren (Malurus cyanocephalus) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Emperor Fairywren eat?
The Emperor Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Emperor Fairywren migrate?
The Emperor Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Emperor Fairywren endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Emperor Fairywren make?
1 real field recording of the Emperor Fairywren — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Emperor Fairywren's range?
The Emperor Fairywren has a mapped global range of about 491,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Maluridae
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.