Tag: wrens

This series has twice featured an image of a male red-winged fairywren, in “flaunting” mode.

Females are more “drab”, but are very attractive – and perky – in their own right.

I am almost certain that the pictured bird is a spotted scrubwren, Sericornus maculatus – the southwestern Australian version of southeastern Australia’s white-browed scrubwren.

The “spotted” and the “white-browed” were formerly regarded as two subspecies.

Since 2019, the prevailing classification regards them as two distinct species…albeit ones that are known to interbreed where their ranges overlap, around Adelaide.

The spotted scrubwren lives in densely vegetated places along the coastal “fringe”, from Adelaide, through to Shark Bay.

Currently, four subspecies are generally recognised.

Glimpsed fleetingly, spotted scrubwrens appear to be “drab”, but a closer view reveals that their plumage is in fact finely detailed.

No prize for guessing that you are looking at a male of its species.

This species – Malurus elegans, the Red-winged fairywren – can only be looked at in Australia’s southwestern corner.

Shy and secretive. Difficult to observe, says The Complete Guide to Australian Birds.