 |
ZooNooz Article - june 2005
Focus on Fairy-wrens
Story by ANDREW PARNELL
Photograph Cathy Hattersley
Illustration Ngaire Sales
The different species are similar in size, diet and behaviour. The Red- backed is the smallest at 100-130 mm long, while four species, the Purple- crowned, Superb, Red-winged and the Blue-breasted, vie for largest, still at just 130-150 mm.
Fairy-wrens are cheeky, inquisitive
birds, most often seen darting
through the undergrowth or perched
on a branch with tail flicking. While
the Superb, or Blue, Fairy-wren is
probably the most well known in
the Sydney area, there are many
other species found in Australia and
also in New Guinea. These include
the Variegated, Splendid, Purple-
crowned and Red-winged. They live
in undergrowth from arid scrublands
to rainforests.
Fairy-Wrens |
These small birds are communal,
living in close-knit groups each with
a permanent territory of about a half
to two hectares. Groups of Superb
and Splendid Fairy-wrens consist
of a dominant male, his partner,
several young from that year and
often several additional males. In
the Superb Fairy-wren groups, the
dominant female drives away all
other mature females. Groups of the
other species are smaller, generally
up to seven birds. The least social
is the Red-backed Fairy-wren, whose
groups can be as small as a breeding
pair. After breeding, the groups in
this species tend to join up with
20 to 30 others and roam the scrub
together.
Looking colourful
Distinctive physical features
of fairy-wrens include their long,
slender and often erect tails, and
the males' brilliant colours. In
most species his most prominent
colour is a striking blue, but there
are exceptions such as the Purple-
crowned and the Red-backed, which
is the only Australian species with no
blue feathers. Females and immature
birds, including juvenile males, are
mainly dull brown. Fairy-wrens moult
twice a year and when this happens
the males, except the oldest and
most dominant, lose their distinctive
colours and resemble females. This
gives the appearance of a dominant
male surrounded by a "harem", but it
is an illusion as each group has just
one breeding pair.
Feeding and breeding
The different species are similar
in size, diet and behaviour. The Red-
backed is the smallest at 100-130 mm
long, while four species, the Purple-
crowned, Superb, Red-winged and
the Blue-breasted, vie for largest,
still at just 130-150 mm. Fairy-wrens
feed during the day, catching insects
in low bushes and on the ground.
The only species to really reach the
heights is the Lovely Fairy-wren,
which lives and feeds in trees up to
20 metres high and only occasionally
goes to the ground. Fairy-wren
groups scatter throughout their
territory to forage, regularly meeting together on a low branch to rest and preen each other.
Fairy-Wrens |
The length of the breeding seasons varies between the species but most start in August or September. The Blue-breasted has the shortest season, lasting only these two months. Other species, such as the Variegated, go to December, while the Superb goes through until March. Lovely Fairy-wrens are the exception, with breeding occurring throughout the year. Some species will breed at different times of the year following substantial rain - the seasons of the Red-backed and White-winged Fairy-wrens are strongly affected by local rainfall.
After building a globe-shaped nest of grass lined with feathers, the female will lay and incubate between two and four eggs. With the exception of the arboreal Lovely Fairy-wren, nests are built close to the ground. The young hatch after about two weeks and, in most species, others in the group assist the mother to raise her young by bringing insects for food and helping to defend the territory and nest. This continues until the fledglings leave the nest after about 10 to 14 days. So successful can this assistance be that in some species the female can produce several broods a season.
Security in numbers
After building a globe-shaped nest of grass lined with feathers, the female will lay and incubate between two and four eggs.
The Variegated Fairy-wren is the most widely distributed, being found throughout Australia except for the south-east and south-west tips and small areas in the extreme north. Not surprisingly, it lives in the widest range of habitats, ranging from rainforest to acacia scrubs. By contrast the Superb Fairy-wren has a more restricted range and habitat. It is found in the open forests and woodlands of south-eastern Australia, generally within 200km of the coast, and has adapted well to living in suburban gardens. These populations are considered the most secure of the fairy-wrens.
The two species considered vulnerable are the Red-winged, which inhabits gullies and creek banks in eucalypt forests of far south-western Western Australia, and the Blue-breasted from the much reduced sand plains and mallee of south-western Australia. The Purple-crowned Fairy-wren is endangered, having suffered significant loss of its habitat along stream and rivers in the Kimberley and north-western Queensland.
Fairy-wrens are an integral part of the Australian bush. Their chirps and warbles are sounds we never want to lose.
Want to read more?
By joining as a Zoo Friends member we send you a full colour, glossy magazine each quarter as part of your membership package. Join now.
« Back to ZooNooz article listing
|
|
