fairy wren

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fairy wren

bird

Also known as: Malurus, blue wren, superb warbler

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Also called:: blue wren or superb warbler

Related Topics:: warbler; bluecap; splendid fairy wren; Maluridae

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fairy wren, any of the 27 species of the songbird family Maluridae (sometimes placed in the warbler family Sylviidae). These common names, and bluecap, are given particularly to M. cyaneus, a great favourite in gardens and orchards of eastern Australia. The male has blue foreparts with black markings. This species, like others of the genus, is about 13 cm (5 inches) long, with a narrow blue tail, which is carried cocked up. The bluecap sometimes sings at night as well as by day. The splendid fairy wren (M. splendens) of Western Australia, unlike the bluecap in the east, avoids settled areas.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.