THE WORLD BIRDS - An Online Bird Book
FAIRYWRENs, GRASSWRENS, and Allies
Order Passeriformes Family Maluridae
FAIRYWRENs, GRASSWRENS, and Allies
Order Passeriformes Family Maluridae
The Malurids look similar to wrens, but this is due to convergent evolution. Their closet relatives are the Honeyeaters of family Meliphagidae and the Peep-wrens of family Pardalotidae. They are insectivorous, typically foraging in underbrush. They build domed nests in areas of dense vegetation.The grasswrens are well camouflaged with black and brown patterns, but other species often have brilliantly coloured plumage, especially in the males. They are found in Australia and New Guinea.
Genus Amytornis
The grasswrens resemble true wrens, especially when the raise their tails. However, they are unrelated; the resemblance is just due to convergent evolution.
Grasswren,_Black Amytornis housei Found: Australia
The Black Grasswren has black with white stripes head, neck, upper-back, upper-breast; chestnut lower-back. Female belly dark chestnut.
Image by: 1, 2) Mark Sanders1) Female 2) Male
Grasswren,_Carpentarian Amytornis dorotheae Found: Australia
The Carpentarian Grasswren is found almost exclusively on top of sandstone escarpments in the Northern Territory.
Image by: 1, 2) Brian_McCauley
Grasswren,_Dusky Amytornis purnelli Found: Australia
The Kalkadoon Grasswren was formerly consider a subspecies of Dusky Grasswren. The wing coverts are brighter than wing coverts of the Dusky Grasswren.
Image by: 1) Peter Jacobs 2) Christopher Watson 3) Brian_McCauley
Grasswren,_Eyrean Amytornis goyderi Found: central Australia
The Eyrean Grasswren has rufous-brown upperparts with light streaks; reddish head with white stripes; white arc below eye; whitish underparts with buff flanks.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Brian McCauley
Grasswren,_Gray Amytornis barbatus Found: Australia, New Guinea
The Gray Grasswren has brown upperparts with gray and white striations; white supercilium; black eye-line;
Image by: 1) David Greg Smith 2) Ron Knight
Grasswren,_Kalkadoon Amytornis ballarae Found: Australia
The Kalkadoon Grasswren was formerly consider a subspecies of Dusky Grasswren. The wing coverts are brighter than wing coverts of the Dusky Grasswren.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Brian_McCauley
Grasswren,_Short-tailed Amytornis merrotsyi Found: Australia
Image by: 1) Ron_Knight 2) Brian_McCauley
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Grasswren,_Striated Amytornis striatus Found: Australia
The Striated Grasswren has soft reddish-brown upperparts; orange-buff fore supercilium; white throat; black moustachial stripe; buffy underparts.
Image by: 1) Brian_McCauley 2) Dan Eyles 3) Tony Morris 
4) Subspecies Rusty Grasswren (A. s. rowleyi). Restricted to areas of western Queensland
Grasswren,_Thick-billed also Western Grasswren Amytornis textilis Found: Australia
The Thick-billed Grasswren has black-and-white striped upperparts.Female has chestnut patch on flanks.
Image by: 1, 2) David Cook - South Australis 3) julie_burgher
Grasswren,_White-throated Amytornis woodwardi Found: Australia
Image by: 1) Henrik Gronvold 2) graeme chapman
Genus Chenorhamphus - 1 species
Fairywren,_Broad-billed Chenorhamphus grayi Found: New Guinea
It has been proposed to split the 2 subspecies of Chenorhamphus grayi into 2 species.
Image by: 1) hbw.com
Genus Clytomyias - 1 species
Fairywren,_Orange-crowned Clytomyias insignis Found: New Guinea
The Orange-crowned Fairywren has olive-brown upperparts; orange head; brown wings;
Image by: 1) Katerina Tvardikova
Genus Malurus
The fairywrens are brightly colored, especially the males in breeding season. They have long tails and wren-like poses.
Fairywren,_Blue-breasted Malurus pulcherrimus Found: Australia
The breeding male Blue-breated Fairywren has blue crown, ear coverts, nape; red shoulders; dark blue throat; gray-brown wings, tail; pale underparts. Female and non-breeding male has mainly gray-brown plumage.
Image by: 1) Sam_Gordon 2) Tony Dudley 3, 4) Nik_Borrow1) Non-breeding male 2) Molting male
Fairywren,_Emperor Malurus cyanocephalus Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Jerry Oldenettel
Fairywren,_Lovely Malurus amabilis Found: Australia
The breeding Lovely Fairywren has azure blue mantle, crown, ear coverts; black nape, throat, upper-breast; chestnut shoulders; white tiped dark-blue tail; white belly. Female has smokey blue upperparts, tail; turquoise ear coverts; dark gray wings; white underparts. Nonbreeding male resembles female or have a more gray-brown plumage.
Image by: 1) Brian_McCauley 2) Tom Tarrant 3) Malcolm Tattersall 
1) Female 2, 3) Male
Fairywren,_Purple-crowned Malurus coronatus Found: northern Australia
The breeding male Purple-crowned Fairywren has brown upperparts; purple crown ,tail; black nape, face; creamy-buff underparts. Nonbreeding male has gray crown. Female has blue tinged gray crown; chestnut ear-coverts; greenish-blue crown.
Image by: 1) David_Cook 2) Sunphlo 3, 4) Tom Tarrant1) Female left, nonbreeding male right 2) Nonbreeding male 3) Breeding male
Fairywren,_Red-backed Malurus melanocephalus Found: Australia
The breeding male Red-backed Fairywren has manly black plumage; red back; brown wings. Female has brownish upperparts; paler underparts with whitish throat. Nonbreeding male resembles female.
Image by: 1) Tom Tarrant 2) David Cook 3) Paul_Balfe 4) Tom_Tarrant
Fairywren,_Red-winged Malurus elegans Found: Western Australia
The breeding male Red-winged Fairywren has silvery crown, mantle, ear coverts; red shoulders; gray tail; black breast-band; white belly. Nonbreeding males and females have mainly gray-brown plumage although males may have some blue and black feathers.
Image by: 1) Bruce_Ramsay 2) Cas Liber 3) BiteYourBum.com 4) Paul_Balfe
1) Female 3) Breeding male
Fairywren,_Splendid Malurus splendens Found: Australia
The breeding male Splendid Fairywren has mainly blue and black plumage. Females and nonbreeding males have mainly gray-brown plumage.
Image by: 1) Matlacha 2, 3, 4) Nik Borrow 5) Aviceda - Queensland, Australia 6) David_Cook
1, 2) Female 3 - 6) Male
TBD
Fairywren,_Superb Malurus cyaneus Found: Australia
Image by: 1) Benjamint444 2) fir002 3, 7) David Cook 5) Nik_Borrow 6) JJ Harrison 4, 8) David_Cook
1) Pair 2, 3, 4) Female 4) nonbreeding male 6 - 8) Male
Fairywren,_Variegated Malurus lamberti Found: Australia
Image by: 1) Tom Tarrant - Queensland 2) Charlie Westerinen 3, 6) Laurie_Boyle 4) David Cook 5) James_Niland
1) Pair 2, 3) Female 4, 5, 6) Male
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Fairywren,_White-shouldered Malurus alboscapulatus Found: New Guinea
The breeding male White-shouldered Fairywren has mainly black plumage with white shoulders. Female has black upperparts; white shoulders, underparts.
Image by: 1) Lars Peterrson
Fairywren,_White-winged Malurus leucopterus Found: Australia
The breeding male White-winged Fairywren has mainly vibrant blue plumage with white wings. Female has mainly sandy-brown plumage with light-blue tail.
Image by: 1) Andreas_Trepte 2) Nik_Borrow 3) Brian_McCauley 4) David Cook
Genus Sipodotus - 1 species
Fairywren,_Wallace's Sipodotus wallacii Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Joseph Wolf 2) Marcel Holyoak
Genus Stipiturus
The tail has only six feathers which are loose and coarse in structure, rather like the feathers of the emu. The tail is as long as the body.
Wren, Mallee Emu- also Mallee Emuwren Stipiturus mallee Found: nw Victoria, se South Australia
The male Mallee Emu-Wren has olive-brown upperparts with dark streaks; pale rufous crown; gray-brown wings; blue throat, upper-breast; cheeks. Female resembles male but without the blue plumage.
Image by: 1, 3) Nik_Borrow 2) Ron Knight 3) Tony Morris 1) Female 2, 3, 4) Male
Wren, Rufous-crowned Emu- also Rufous-crowned Emuwren Stipiturus ruficeps Found: Australia
The male Rufous-crowned Emu-Wren has reddish upperparts; rufous crown; blue throat, ear coverts; gray-brown wings; buff underparts. Female similar to male but lack blue plumage and red is duller.
Image by: 1, 2) Brian_McCauley
Wren_ Southern_Emu- also Southern Emuwren Stipiturus malachurus Found: Australia
The male Southern Emu-Wren has rusty brown upperparts with streaks of black; more reddish crown; gray-brown wings; blue throat, upper-breast, supercilium; pale red-brown rest underparts. Female lacks blue plumage; has redder crown.
Image by: 1) Leo 2, 3) David Cook - Croajingolong National Park, Victoria, Australia 1) Female 2, 3) Male
