Photo: John Gould / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-breasted Fairywren
Malurus pulcherrimus
Blue-breasted Fairywren (Malurus pulcherrimus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-breasted Fairywren (Malurus pulcherrimus) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 9.2 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 pulcherrimus
Where it lives
Southwestern WA to south-central SA (southwestern, south-central Australia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.2 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 Blue-breasted Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Blue-breasted Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-breasted Fairywren (Malurus pulcherrimus) is a member of the Maluridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU sw WA to sc SA (sw, sc Australia).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.2 g, with a wing length of about 4.9 cm and a tail of around 7.3 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 380,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-breasted Fairywren?
The Blue-breasted Fairywren is a very small bird that weighs around 9.2 g.
Where does the Blue-breasted Fairywren live?
The Blue-breasted Fairywren is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU sw WA to sc SA (sw, sc Australia), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Blue-breasted Fairywren belong to?
The Blue-breasted Fairywren (Malurus pulcherrimus) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Blue-breasted Fairywren eat?
The Blue-breasted Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-breasted Fairywren migrate?
The Blue-breasted Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-breasted 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 Blue-breasted Fairywren make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-breasted 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 Blue-breasted Fairywren's range?
The Blue-breasted Fairywren has a mapped global range of about 380,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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