Purple-backed Fairywren
Malurus assimilis
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 8 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 assimilis
Where it lives
Australia (except southwestern, northeastern, southeastern and Tasmania)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Maluridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Purple-backed Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Purple-backed Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis) belongs to the Maluridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except sw, ne, se and Tasmania).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8 g, with a wing length of about 4.8 cm and a tail of around 6.5 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 6.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Purple-backed Fairywren?
The Purple-backed Fairywren is a very small bird that weighs around 8 g.
Where does the Purple-backed Fairywren live?
The Purple-backed Fairywren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except sw, ne, se and Tasmania), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Purple-backed Fairywren belong to?
The Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Purple-backed Fairywren eat?
The Purple-backed Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Purple-backed Fairywren migrate?
The Purple-backed Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Purple-backed 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 Purple-backed Fairywren make?
1 real field recording of the Purple-backed Fairywren — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Purple-backed Fairywren's range?
The Purple-backed Fairywren has a mapped global range of about 6.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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