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{{Speciesbox
{{Speciesbox
| name = Emperor fairywren
| name = Emperor fairywren
| image = Todopsis cyanocephala - The Birds of New Guinea (cropped).jpg
| image = Emperor Fairywren female 0A2A1738.jpg
| image_caption = Illustration by [[John Gould]] and [[William Matthew Hart|W. Hart]]
| image_caption = Female ''M. c. bonapartii''
| image2 = Emperor Fairywren male 0A2A1576.jpg
| image2_caption = Male ''M. c. bonapartii''
| status = LC
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{Cite iucn | author = BirdLife International | title = ''Malurus cyanocephalus'' | volume = 2017 | page = e.T22703765A118652948 | date = 2017 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22703765A118652948.en }}</ref>
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 17 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2017 |title=''Malurus cyanocephalus'' |volume=2017 |page=e.T22703765A118652948 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22703765A118652948.en |access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref>
| taxon= Malurus cyanocephalus
| taxon = Malurus cyanocephalus
| authority = ([[Jean René Constant Quoy|Quoy]] & [[Joseph Paul Gaimard|Gaimard]], 1830)
| authority = ([[Jean René Constant Quoy|Quoy]] & [[Joseph Paul Gaimard|Gaimard]], 1832)
| synonyms = * ''Todus cyanocephalus''
| synonyms = {{Specieslist
|Todus cyanocephalus|
* ''Todopsis cyanocephala''
|Todopsis cyanocephala|
}}
}}
}}


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 [[forest]]s.
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 [[forest]]s. It is the largest species of fairywren. It is highly [[Sexual dimorphism|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|Biak Island]], and one from south New Guinea and the Aru Islands.


⚫
Like other fairywrens, the emperor fairywren is socially [[Monogamy in animals|monogamous]] and sexually [[Promiscuity#Other animals|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.
It is the largest species of fairywren. It is highly [[Sexual dimorphism|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|Biak Island]], and one from south New Guinea and the Aru Islands.

⚫
Like other fairywrens, the emperor fairywren is socially [[monogamous]] and sexually [[Animal sexual behaviour#Promiscuity|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 composed mostly of insects. They forage in family groups.


==Taxonomy and systematics ==
==Taxonomy and systematics ==
The emperor fairywren was originally described by [[Jean René Constant Quoy|Quoy]] and [[Joseph Paul Gaimard|Gaimard]] in 1830 based on specimens collected by them in northwestern New Guinea in 1827 on a voyage of the [[l'Astrolabe]]. They mistook the specimens as [[Tody|todies]], and described the species as ''Todus cyanocephalus''. In 1854, [[Charles Lucien Bonaparte]] recognised that the species was not a tody, and erected the genus ''[[Todopsis]]'', making the emperor fairywren its [[type species]]. In 1859, George Gray described ''Todopsis bonapartii'' as a species on the basis of specimens from the [[Ayu Islands|Aru Islands]], while [[Adolf Bernhard Meyer|Adolf Meyer]] described ''Todopsis mysorensis'' on the basis of specimens from [[Biak]] in 1874. However, Rothschild and [[Ernst Hartert|Hartert]] included them as subspecies of ''T. cyanocephalus,'' while adding ''T. c. dohertyi'' as a fourth subspecies from northern New Guinea on the basis of differences in the colour of the females. Schodde (1982), moved the emperor fairywren from the now-obselete ''Todopsis'' to ''[[Malurus]]'', while including ''dohertyi'' as a part of ''M. c. cyanocephalus''.{{sfn|Rowley|Russell|1997|p=193}}
The emperor fairywren was originally described by [[Jean René Constant Quoy|Jean Quoy]] and [[Joseph Paul Gaimard|Joseph Gaimard]] in 1830 based on specimens collected by them in northwestern [[New Guinea]] in 1827 on a voyage of the [[l'Astrolabe]]. They mistook the specimens as [[Tody|todies]], and described the species as ''Todus cyanocephalus''. In 1854, [[Charles Lucien Bonaparte]] recognised that the species was not a tody, and created the genus ''[[Todopsis]]'', making the emperor fairywren its [[type species]]. In 1859, George Gray described ''Todopsis bonapartii'' as a species on the basis of specimens from the [[Ayu Islands|Aru Islands]], while [[Adolf Bernhard Meyer|Adolf Meyer]] described ''Todopsis mysorensis'' on the basis of specimens from [[Biak]] in 1874. However, [[Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild|Walter Rothschild]] and [[Ernst Hartert]] included them as subspecies of ''T. cyanocephalus,'' while adding ''T. c. dohertyi'' as a fourth subspecies from northern New Guinea on the basis of differences in the colour of the females. In 1982, [[Richard Schodde]] moved the emperor fairywren from ''Todopsis'' to ''[[Malurus]] and'' included ''dohertyi'' as a part of ''M. c. cyanocephalus''.{{sfn|Rowley|Russell|1997|p=193}}


The generic name Malurus is from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''malos'' (soft) and ''oura'' (tail), while the specific epithet comes from the Greek ''kuanos'' (dark blue) and ''kephalos'' (headed).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jobling|first=James A.|title=Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names|publisher=[[Christopher Helm]]|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4081-3326-2|pages=126, 240}}</ref> Alternate names include the '''blue fairywren''', '''blue wren-warbler''', '''emperor wren''', '''imperial fairywren''', '''imperial wren''', and '''New Guinea blue-wren.'''
The generic name ''Malurus'' is from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] ''malos'' (soft) and ''oura'' (tail), while the [[Binomial nomenclature|specific epithet]] comes from the [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] ''kuanos'' (dark blue) and ''kephalos'' (headed).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jobling|first=James A.|title=Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names|publisher=[[Christopher Helm]]|year=2010|isbn=978-1-4081-3326-2|pages=126, 240}}</ref> 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 ''[[Malurus]]''. Within the genus, it is variously said to be most closely related to the chestnut-shouldered wrens and a group comprising the bi-colored and blue wrens.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Christidis|first1=Leslie|last2=Schodde|first2=Richard|date=1997|title=Relationships within the Australo-Papuan Fairy-wrens (Aves : Malurinae) : an Evaluation of the Utility of Allozyme Data|url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/zo/zo96068|journal=Australian Journal of Zoology|language=en|volume=45|issue=2|pages=113–129|doi=10.1071/zo96068|issn=1446-5698}}</ref> Like other fairywrens, the emperor fairywren is not related to the true wrens. The fairywrens were previously classified in the [[Muscicapidae]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Sharpe RB|title=Catalogue of the Passeriformes, or perching birds, in the collection of the British museum. Cichlomorphae, part 1|publisher=Trustees of the British Museum|year=1879|location=London|author-link=Richard Bowdler Sharpe}}</ref> and the [[Sylviidae]]<ref>{{cite book|author=Sharpe RB|title=A handlist of the genera and species of birdsVol. 4|publisher=British Museum|year=1903|location=London|author-link=Richard Bowdler Sharpe}}</ref> before being put in the newly established [[Maluridae]] in 1975.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Schodde R|title=Interim List of Australian Songbirds|publisher=[[Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union|RAOU]]|year=1975|location=Melbourne}}</ref> DNA evidence has shown the Maluridae to be most closely related to the [[Meliphagidae]] and the [[Pardalotidae]] in the [[Superfamily (biology)|superfamily]] [[Meliphagoidea]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Barker|first=FK|author2=Barrowclough, GF|author3=Groth, JG|year=2002|title=A phylogenetic hypothesis for passerine birds; Taxonomic and biogeographic implications of an analysis of nuclear DNA sequence data|journal=Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B|volume=269|issue=1488|pages=295–308|doi=10.1098/rspb.2001.1883|pmc=1690884|pmid=11839199}}</ref>
⚫
===Subspecies===


⚫
=== Subspecies ===
Three subspecies are recognized:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/lyrebirds/|title=Lyrebirds, scrubbirds, bowerbirds & Australasian wrens« IOC World Bird List|website=www.worldbirdnames.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-15}}</ref>
Three subspecies of the emperor fairywren are recognized:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/lyrebirds/|title=Lyrebirds, scrubbirds, bowerbirds & Australasian wrens« IOC World Bird List|website=www.worldbirdnames.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-15}}</ref>
* ''M. c. cyanocephalus'' - <small>([[Jean René Constant Quoy|Quoy]] & [[Joseph Paul Gaimard|Gaimard]], 1830)</small>: It is the [[nominate subspecies]], and is found in north-western and northern New Guinea.
* ''M. c. mysorensis'' - <small>([[Adolf Bernhard Meyer|Meyer, AB]], 1874)</small>: It was originally described as a separate species in the genus ''Todopsis''. It is found on Biak (off north-western New Guinea). It's crown tends to be slightly lighter than that of the nominate subspecies.
* ''M. c. cyanocephalus'' <small>([[Jean René Constant Quoy|Quoy]] & [[Joseph Paul Gaimard|Gaimard]], 1830)</small>: It is the [[nominate subspecies]], and is found in north-western and northern New Guinea.
* ''M. c. bonapartii'' - <small>([[George Robert Gray|Gray, GR]], 1859)</small>: 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.
* ''M. c. mysorensis'' <small>([[Adolf Bernhard Meyer|Meyer, AB]], 1874)</small>: 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'' <small>([[George Robert Gray|Gray, GR]], 1859)</small>: 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 ==
== Description ==
[[File:TodopsisCyanocephalaWolf.jpg|left|thumb|A painting of a male and female emperor fairywren.]]
[[File:TodopsisCyanocephalaWolf.jpg|left|thumb|A painting of a male and female emperor fairywren.]]
⚫
It is the largest fairywren, being {{convert|13-16|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and weighing {{convert|12-17|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":0" /> 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 [[Scapula|scapulars]] and uppertail-[[Covert feather|coverts]] is a deep [[Turquoise (color)|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 (color)|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.{{Sfn|Rowley|Russell|1997|p=193}} 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.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|last1=Rowley|first1=Ian|title=Emperor Fairywren (Malurus cyanocephalus)|date=2020-03-04|url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/empfai1/1.0/introduction|work=Birds of the World|editor-last=Billerman|editor-first=Shawn M.|publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology|language=en|doi=10.2173/bow.empfai1.01|access-date=2021-09-21|last2=Russell|first2=Eleanor|editor2-last=Keeney|editor2-first=Brooke K.|editor3-last=Rodewald|editor3-first=Paul G.|editor4-last=Schulenberg|editor4-first=Thomas S.}}</ref>
It is the largest fairy-wren. It is {{convert|13-16|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and weighs {{convert|12-17|g|oz|abbr=on}}.

⚫
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 [[Scapula|scapulars]] and uppertail-[[Covert feather|coverts]] is a deep [[Turquoise (color)|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 (color)|chestnut]] upperparts, white underparts, deep blue throats, and a black tail with whitish tips. They also have lighter are more mid-brown legs. 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Emperor Fairywren - Malurus cyanocephalus - Birds of the World|url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/empfai1/cur/introduction#subsp|website=birdsoftheworld.org|language=en|access-date=2020-05-08}}</ref>


=== Vocalisations ===
=== 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”.<ref name=":0" />
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''”.<ref name=":0" />


== Distribution and habitat ==
== Distribution and habitat ==
It is found on the island of New Guinea and the Aru Islands. It is found in [[Tropics|tropical]] [[lowland]], [[Forest|forests]], [[Wetland|wetlands]], and degraded former forests. They inhabit dense [[Secondary growth forest|secondary growth]] that occurs at the edges of forest, along with forest openings, riversides, roadsides and overgrown gardens. They are not as affected by habitat disturbance and appear to like [[Disturbance (ecology)|disturbed habitats]] like gardens and parks. <ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Emperor Fairy-wren Malurus cyanocephalus - BirdLife Species Factsheet|url=http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/emperor-fairy-wren-malurus-cyanocephalus/details|last=|first=|date=|website=|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref>
It is found on New Guinea and the Aru Islands. It is found in tropical [[lowland]], [[Forest|forests]], [[Wetland|wetlands]], and degraded former forests. They inhabit dense [[Secondary growth forest|secondary growth]] that occurs at the edges of forest, along with forest openings, riversides, roadsides and overgrown gardens. They are not as affected by habitat disturbance and appear to like [[Disturbance (ecology)|disturbed habitats]] like gardens and parks.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Emperor Fairy-wren Malurus cyanocephalus - BirdLife Species Factsheet|url=http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/emperor-fairy-wren-malurus-cyanocephalus/details|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref>


== Behaviour and ecology ==
== Behaviour and ecology ==


=== Diet ===
=== Diet ===
Its diet is composed of mainly of [[Arthropod|Arthropods]]. They eat [[Beetle|beetles]], [[Hemiptera|bugs]], [[Moth|moths]], [[Grasshopper|grasshoppers]], and [[Spider|spiders]]. [[Foraging]] is conducted in noisy family groups, with the insects foraged from leaves, [[Palm frond|palm fronds]] and branches within {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}} of the ground.<ref name=":0" />
The emperor fairywren feeds mainly on [[Arthropod|arthropods]]. They eat beetles, [[Hemiptera|bugs]], moths, grasshoppers, and spiders. [[Foraging]] is conducted in noisy family groups, with the insects foraged from leaves, [[Palm frond|palm fronds]] and branches within {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}} of the ground.<ref name=":0" />


=== Reproduction ===
=== Reproduction ===
Little is known about reproduction in this species, but as juveniles have been recorded from March-December, it probably breeds throughout the year. They are [[socially monogamous]] but [[sexually promiscuous]], remaining paired throughout the year. It is a [[cooperative breeder]], having helpers, most frequently former chicks, in pairs or small groups to help raise young.
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 [[socially monogamous]] but [[Promiscuity#Other animals|sexually promiscuous]], remaining paired throughout the year. It is a [[cooperative breeder]], having helpers, most frequently former chicks, in pairs or small groups to help raise young.


The only observed [[nest]] was gourd-shaped with a side entrance, placed {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}} off the ground in a bush and containing 4 young. The nest was made out of strips of [[fern]] and [[Leaf|leaves]] which were woven together with [[moss]].<ref name=":0" />
The only observed [[nest]] was gourd-shaped with a side entrance, placed {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on}} off the ground in a bush and containing 4 young. The nest was made out of strips of [[fern]] and [[Leaf|leaves]] which were woven together with [[moss]].<ref name=":0" />
Line 60: Line 59:
=== Cited text ===
=== Cited text ===


* {{cite book|last1=Rowley|first1=Ian|title=Bird Families of the World:Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens|last2=Russell|first2=Eleanor|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1997|isbn=0-19-854690-4|location=Oxford, United Kingdom|ref={{sfnRef|Rowley & Russell|1997}}}}
* {{cite book|last1=Rowley|first1=Ian|title=Bird Families of the World:Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens|last2=Russell|first2=Eleanor|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1997|isbn=0-19-854690-4|location=Oxford, United Kingdom}}
{{Malurus}}
{{Malurus}}


{{Taxonbar|from=Q608816}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q608816}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:fairywren, emperor}}
[[Category:Malurus|emperor fairywren]]
[[Category:Malurus|emperor fairywren]]
[[Category:Birds of New Guinea]]
[[Category:Birds of New Guinea]]

Latest revision as of 01:07, 29 May 2024

Emperor fairywren
Female M. c. bonapartii
Male M. c. bonapartii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Maluridae
Genus: Malurus
Species:
M. cyanocephalus
Binomial name
Malurus cyanocephalus
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1832)
Synonyms
  • Todus cyanocephalus
  • Todopsis cyanocephala

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

[edit]

The emperor fairywren was originally described by Jean Quoy and Joseph Gaimard in 1830 based on specimens collected by them in northwestern New Guinea in 1827 on a voyage of the l'Astrolabe. They mistook the specimens as todies, and described the species as Todus cyanocephalus. In 1854, Charles Lucien Bonaparte recognised that the species was not a tody, and created the genus Todopsis, making the emperor fairywren its type species. In 1859, George Gray described Todopsis bonapartii as a species on the basis of specimens from the Aru Islands, while Adolf Meyer described Todopsis mysorensis on the basis of specimens from Biak in 1874. However, Walter Rothschild and Ernst Hartert included them as subspecies of T. cyanocephalus, while adding T. c. dohertyi as a fourth subspecies from northern New Guinea on the basis of differences in the colour of the females. In 1982, Richard Schodde moved the emperor fairywren from Todopsis to Malurus and included dohertyi as a part of M. c. cyanocephalus.[2]

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 Malurus. Within the genus, it is variously said to be most closely related to the chestnut-shouldered wrens and a group comprising the bi-colored and blue wrens.[4] Like other fairywrens, the emperor fairywren is not related to the true wrens. The fairywrens were previously classified in the Muscicapidae[5] and the Sylviidae[6] before being put in the newly established Maluridae in 1975.[7] DNA evidence has shown the Maluridae to be most closely related to the Meliphagidae and the Pardalotidae in the superfamily Meliphagoidea.[8]

Subspecies

[edit]

Three subspecies of the emperor fairywren are recognized:[9]

  • M. c. cyanocephalus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830): It is the 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

[edit]
A painting of a male and female emperor fairywren.

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

It is found on New Guinea and the Aru Islands. It is found in tropical lowland, forests, wetlands, and degraded former forests. They inhabit dense secondary growth that occurs at the edges of forest, along with forest openings, riversides, roadsides and overgrown gardens. They are not as affected by habitat disturbance and appear to like disturbed habitats like gardens and parks.[10][11]

Behaviour and ecology

[edit]

Diet

[edit]

The emperor fairywren feeds mainly on arthropods. They eat beetles, bugs, moths, grasshoppers, and spiders. Foraging is conducted in noisy family groups, with the insects foraged from leaves, palm fronds and branches within 1 m (3.3 ft) of the ground.[10]

Reproduction

[edit]

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 socially monogamous but sexually promiscuous, remaining paired throughout the year. It is a cooperative breeder, having helpers, most frequently former chicks, in pairs or small groups to help raise young.

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

[edit]
  1. ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Malurus cyanocephalus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22703765A118652948. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22703765A118652948.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Rowley & Russell 1997, p. 193.
  3. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm. pp. 126, 240. ISBN 978-1-4081-3326-2.
  4. ^ Christidis, Leslie; Schodde, Richard (1997). "Relationships within the Australo-Papuan Fairy-wrens (Aves : Malurinae) : an Evaluation of the Utility of Allozyme Data". Australian Journal of Zoology. 45 (2): 113–129. doi:10.1071/zo96068. ISSN 1446-5698.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Sharpe RB (1903). A handlist of the genera and species of birdsVol. 4. London: British Museum.
  7. ^ Schodde R (1975). Interim List of Australian Songbirds. Melbourne: RAOU.
  8. ^ Barker, FK; Barrowclough, GF; Groth, JG (2002). "A phylogenetic hypothesis for passerine birds; Taxonomic and biogeographic implications of an analysis of nuclear DNA sequence data". Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B. 269 (1488): 295–308. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1883. PMC 1690884. PMID 11839199.
  9. ^ "Lyrebirds, scrubbirds, bowerbirds & Australasian wrens« IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Rowley, Ian; Russell, Eleanor (2020-03-04), Billerman, Shawn M.; Keeney, Brooke K.; Rodewald, Paul G.; Schulenberg, Thomas S. (eds.), "Emperor Fairywren (Malurus cyanocephalus)", Birds of the World, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, doi:10.2173/bow.empfai1.01, retrieved 2021-09-21
  11. ^ "Emperor Fairy-wren Malurus cyanocephalus - BirdLife Species Factsheet".

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