Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Superb Fairywren
Malurus cyaneus
Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 10.3 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 cyaneus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Maluridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Superb 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 forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Superb Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) is a member of the Maluridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU se Australia and Tasmania.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.3 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 6.1 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 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Superb Fairywren?
The Superb Fairywren is a very small bird that weighs around 10.3 g.
Where does the Superb Fairywren live?
The Superb Fairywren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU se Australia and Tasmania, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Superb Fairywren belong to?
The Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Superb Fairywren eat?
The Superb Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Superb Fairywren migrate?
The Superb Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Superb 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 Superb Fairywren make?
1 real field recording of the Superb Fairywren — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Superb Fairywren's range?
The Superb Fairywren has a mapped global range of about 1.2 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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Guides for this bird
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