Fauna Owen Springs ReserveOwen Springs Reserve Birds Australian Hobby Black Kite Brown Falcon Brown Goshawk Galah Great Cormorant Little Black Cormorant Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Splendid Fairy-wren
The small Brilliant blue Splendid Fairy-wren (Malurus splendens) is hard to miss, found mainly in semi-arid and arid regions of Australia. It is the male of the species that have the brilliant blue colouration, especially during the breeding season.
The non-breeding males, juveniles and females of the species are predominantly grey, brown upper and buff to white underneath. The males display a blue wash on their wings and tail, whilst the female a pale red line running from beak to eye. The splendid fairy-wren has a long tail and grows to about 13 cm.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Subphylum: Vertebrata
- Informal: Gnathostomata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Passeriformes
- Suborder: Passeri
- Informal: Passerida
- Family: Maluridae
- Subfamily: Malurinae
- Genus: Malurus
- Subgenus: infrageneric Malurus
- Species: Malurus splendens
- Subspecies:
- Malurus (Malurus) splendens emmottorum Schodde & Mason, 1999
- Malurus (Malurus) splendens melanotus Gould, 1841
- Malurus (Malurus) splendens musgravi Mathews, 1922
- Malurus (Malurus) splendens splendens (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830)
Fauna Owen Springs ReserveOwen Springs Reserve Birds Australian Hobby Black Kite Brown Falcon Brown Goshawk Galah Great Cormorant Little Black Cormorant Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Splendid Fairy-wren
Owen Springs ReserveAttractions Redbank Waterhole Fauna Flora