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Alice Springs Waste Stabilisation Ponds

The Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), native to Australia, has the largest range of all the fairywrens. Their range overlaps extensively with other fairywren species. There are four recognised subspecies.

Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer

Exhibiting sexual dimorphism, the breeding male is brightly coloured, with chestnut coloured shoulders, azure crown and ear coverts. The females, non-breeding males and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, although two of the subspecies, the females have mainly blue-grey plumage. In some populations of females, they have been seen with bluish upperparts.

Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds, NT
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds, NT
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer
Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Alice Springs Sewage Ponds NT © Dorothy Latimer

The photographs presented here were taken in the month of May and August.

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  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Aves
  • Order: Passeriformes
  • Family: Maluridae
  • Genus: Malurus
  • Species: Malurus assimils

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