Photo: John Gould / William Matthew Hart / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
White-shouldered Fairywren
Malurus alboscapulatus
White-shouldered Fairywren (Malurus alboscapulatus) — 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 White-shouldered Fairywren (Malurus alboscapulatus) is a member of the Maluridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 9.3 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 alboscapulatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Maluridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-shouldered Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-shouldered Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-shouldered Fairywren (Malurus alboscapulatus) is a member of the Maluridae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.3 g, with a wing length of about 4.9 cm and a tail of around 4.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 779,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-shouldered Fairywren?
The White-shouldered Fairywren is a very small bird that weighs around 9.3 g.
Where does the White-shouldered Fairywren live?
The White-shouldered 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 White-shouldered Fairywren belong to?
The White-shouldered Fairywren (Malurus alboscapulatus) belongs to the Maluridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-shouldered Fairywren eat?
The White-shouldered Fairywren is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-shouldered Fairywren migrate?
The White-shouldered Fairywren is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-shouldered 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 White-shouldered Fairywren make?
1 real field recording of the White-shouldered 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 White-shouldered Fairywren's range?
The White-shouldered Fairywren has a mapped global range of about 779,000 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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