Red-backed Fairywren

Overview

The red-backed fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus) is a small passerine bird in the family Maluridae, endemic to Australia. As the smallest member of its genus, it is found primarily in wet, grassy tropical and sub-tropical regions along the northern and eastern coastlines.

Identification

• Males in breeding plumage feature a striking black head, upperparts, and tail, contrasted with a bright red back and brown wings.
• Females, juveniles, and males in eclipse plumage appear similar, with brownish upperparts, paler underparts, and a yellowish spot under the eye, notably lacking the blue tail tint seen in other fairywrens.
• The species measures approximately 11.5 cm in length with a bill that is relatively long, narrow, and pointed.
• The territorial song is a reel consisting of an introductory note followed by repeated short segments that start softly and end high and shrill.

Habitat

This species inhabits heathland and savannah, particularly where low shrubs and tall grasses such as blady grass and Eulalia provide cover. It avoids arid habitats and is replaced to the south by the white-winged fairywren, while being locally nomadic in areas subject to frequent bushfires.

Diet

Predominantly insectivorous, the red-backed fairywren feeds on a wide variety of insects including beetles, bugs, grasshoppers, and moths, as well as spiders. It supplements its diet with seeds and small fruit, though plant material constitutes a very small proportion of its intake. Foraging occurs in leaf litter, shrubbery, and on the edges of water bodies, mostly in the morning and late afternoon.

Did you know?

During courtship, the male plucks red petals from flowers and presents them to females, though it occasionally offers these items to other males as an act of aggression. The female performs the bulk of the nest building, a role that is atypical for the genus Malurus.