Emperor fairywren
Emperor fairywren | |
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Female M. c. bonapartii | |
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Male M. c. bonapartii | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Maluridae |
Genus: | Malurus |
Species: | M. cyanocephalus
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Binomial name | |
Malurus cyanocephalus | |
Synonyms | |
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The emperor fairywren (Malurus cyanocephalus) is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is found in New Guinea in its natural habitat of subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is the largest species of fairywren. It is highly sexually dimorphic. Males have a blue and black plumage, with the females having blue and black plumage only on their heads, with the rest of the body being coloured a rusty brown and having a black tail tipped with white. There are 3 recognized subspecies of the emperor fairywren, one from north and northwestern New Guinea, one from Biak Island, and one from south New Guinea and the Aru Islands.
Like other fairywrens, the emperor fairywren is socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, and is a cooperative breeder. Its nests are made of leaves, ferns, and moss, and laced in bushes at an elevation. Its diet is mostly composed of insects. Foraging occurs in family groups.
Taxonomy and systematics
The emperor fairywren was originally described by
The generic name Malurus is from the Greek malos (soft) and oura (tail), while the specific epithet comes from the Greek kuanos (dark blue) and kephalos (headed).[3] Alternate names include the blue fairywren, blue wren-warbler, emperor wren, imperial fairywren, imperial wren, and New Guinea blue-wren.
The emperor fairywren is one of 11 species in the genus
Subspecies
Three subspecies of the emperor fairywren are recognized:[9]
- M. c. cyanocephalus (nominate subspecies, and is found in north-western and northern New Guinea.
- M. c. mysorensis (Meyer, AB, 1874): It was originally described as a separate species in the genus Todopsis. It is found on Biak (off north-western New Guinea). Its crown tends to be slightly lighter than that of the nominate subspecies.
- M. c. bonapartii (Gray, GR, 1859): It was originally described as a separate species in the genus Todopsis. It is found in southern New Guinea and Aru Islands. It is slightly darker than the other two subspecies.
Description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/TodopsisCyanocephalaWolf.jpg/220px-TodopsisCyanocephalaWolf.jpg)
It is the largest fairywren, being 13–16 cm (5.1–6.3 in) long and weighing 12–17 g (0.42–0.60 oz).[10] Males of the nominate race have light royal blue crowns. The forehead, lores, and the side of the head up till the narrow collar is black. The upper back, along with the scapulars and uppertail-coverts is a deep turquoise-blue, with the lower back being blue-black. The upperwing and the tail are blackish-blue with tinges of blue, and the throats and underparts are a navy blue in color. It has dark brown eyes, black bill, and dark grey-brown legs. Females of the nominate race have a head that looks similar to the male, but have chestnut upperparts, white underparts, deep blue throats, and a black tail with whitish tips. They also have lighter and more mid-brown legs, along with duller crowns that are deeper in colour.[2] Juveniles look like females, but have a dusky head, rusty brown upperparts, and entirely white underparts. M. c. mysorensis differs slightly in appearance with its crown being cobalt blue instead of royal blue, and M. c. bonapartii is slightly darker than the nominate race.[10]
Vocalisations
Its songs are a reel that are preceded and followed by sets of 3 notes. This call is frequently given by groups of emperor fairywrens while they are foraging. The contact calls for the bird are "tst-tst-tst-tst”, with the alarm call being “tschik”.[10]
Distribution and habitat
It is found on New Guinea and the Aru Islands. It is found in tropical
Behaviour and ecology
Diet
The emperor fairywren feeds mainly on
Reproduction
Little is known about the breeding habits of the emperor fairywren, but as juveniles have been recorded from March-December, it probably breeds throughout the year. They are
The only observed nest was gourd-shaped with a side entrance, placed 1 m (3.3 ft) off the ground in a bush and containing 4 young. The nest was made out of strips of fern and leaves which were woven together with moss.[10]
References
- . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ a b Rowley & Russell 1997, p. 193.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-3326-2.
- ISSN 1446-5698.
- ^ Sharpe RB (1879). Catalogue of the Passeriformes, or perching birds, in the collection of the British museum. Cichlomorphae, part 1. London: Trustees of the British Museum.
- ^ Sharpe RB (1903). A handlist of the genera and species of birdsVol. 4. London: British Museum.
- ^ Schodde R (1975). Interim List of Australian Songbirds. Melbourne: RAOU.
- PMID 11839199.
- ^ "Lyrebirds, scrubbirds, bowerbirds & Australasian wrens« IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
- ^ , retrieved 2021-09-21
- ^ "Emperor Fairy-wren Malurus cyanocephalus - BirdLife Species Factsheet".
Cited text
- Rowley, Ian; Russell, Eleanor (1997). Bird Families of the World:Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens. Oxford, United Kingdom: ISBN 0-19-854690-4.