General Description
Small fairy-wren with a very fine bill. Colours varied. Breeding male dark blue or glossy black, with a striking white patch from shoulder across closest edge of wing to body. Females grey-brown above and off white below with a dull blue-grey tail. Non-breeding males resemble females, but have a bluer tail and darker bill. Length to 13 cm; wingspan to 15 cm.
Biology
A very gregarious fairy-wren appearing in small flocks of up to 12 birds. They forage for insects, mainly beetles, by hop-searching on the ground and in low shrubs.
Distribution
Across Australia.
Habitat
Shrublands and grasslands in arid, semi-arid and coastal areas, as well as floodplains, wetlands or periodically-flooded lake beds.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Small fairy-wren; distinctive breeding male blue or black with white patch; females grey-brown, white below, blue-grey tail.
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Colours
Blue, White, Brown
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Maximum Size
13 cm
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Habitats
Woodland, Herbfield, Wetland, Floodplain, Arid, Semi-arid, Coastal, Shrubland, Grassland
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable, IUCN Red List: Least Concern
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Taxon Name
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Common Name
White-winged Fairy-wren
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
leucopterus