Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Splendid Fairywren
Malurus splendens
Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) — 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 Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 9.4 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 splendens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.4 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 Splendid 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 Splendid Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) is a species of bird in the Maluridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU w, c Australia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.4 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 6 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 2.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Splendid Fairywren?
The Splendid Fairywren is a very small bird that weighs around 9.4 g.
Where does the Splendid Fairywren live?
The Splendid Fairywren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU w, c Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Splendid Fairywren belong to?
The Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Splendid Fairywren eat?
The Splendid Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Splendid Fairywren migrate?
The Splendid Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Splendid 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 Splendid Fairywren make?
1 real field recording of the Splendid 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 Splendid Fairywren's range?
The Splendid Fairywren has a mapped global range of about 2.7 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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