This month's featured bird is the Superb Fairy-Wren. Commonly referred to as the Blue Wren, it's one of the most easily recognised small birds of parks and gardens, featuring on souvenirs and the like as an iconic Australian bird. With the male's brilliant blue plumage and engaging habits, It's little wonder that these little birds are so popular (voted Australia's favourite bird in a BirdLife poll 2013) There are, however, nine species of fairy wren with fourteen distinct forms based on the characteristics of the male in his breeding plumage. (In the south-west the Splendid Fairy-wren is also referred to as a Blue Wren) The females are similar across species. The Superb Fairy-wren is distributed along the south-east and east coasts of Australia and there's also a Tasmanian form. At 13-14cm long these birds feed mostly on the ground and build their nests in low shrubs. One of the wren's claims to fame is its promiscuity! . The very territorial male is also the bane of clean glass and car paintwork, finding its own reflection to be a great affront. It is delightful, though, when they visit to clean up bugs from the verandah. I think they've calculated that the humans move much too slowly to be a threat. Each breeding season (when she might have up to three breeding cycles) the dominant female drives the other females away to find their own mates and the brown birds that remain are usually immature males. Here in the garden there is a family group whose territory is along the front of verandah and across to the south where, every year, the female builds her rather untidy nests in the same pink daisy bush - which is quite exposed and less than a metre tall, but they seem to do ok. Here are a few of my favourite pics. Older immature male in non-breeding 'eclipse' plumage (note the blue tail). It will be four or more years before he keeps his blue adult blue plumage permanently. Fledgling from last breeding cycle being fed by immature male. Adult male - he keeps his fancy dress all year round. As with many other birds, the female is rather drab by comparison - the male doesn't take turns on nest duty so his eye-catching colours are not a danger to eggs/chicks. He does share in the task of feeding the young though - even though they might not be his! This photo still makes me smile. About to pounce... Baby (right) pursues older bird relentlessly begging for food. Not quite grown-up - this male is losing his breeding plumage.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
December 2018
January - Superb Fairy-Wren
Feb - Eastern Yellow Robin March - NH Honeyeater April - Crimson Rosella May - Grey Currawong June - Grey Shrike-thrush July - Red-browed Finch Aug - White-browed Babbler Sept - Australian Ringneck Oct - Striated Thornbill Nov-Y-t Black Cockatoo Dec - Australian Magpie |