General Description

Males: during the breeding season, upper half of the body is black with bright blue patches on the top of the head, beneath the eyes and around the neck; lower half white. Chest black with a blue-black patch. Have a drab eclipse plumage after the breeding season. Females and young birds: light brown bodies; dull red-orange around the eye. Bill to tail length is up to 15 cm.

Biology

Superb Fairy-wrens form small family groups that co-operate to raise young in a single nest. Along with the young, groups consist of several females and one dominant male. Feeding also occurs in small groups. They mainly eat insects caught on the ground, but also some seeds and fruit. Females construct an untidy, dome-shaped nest made from grasses, moss, twigs and spider webs, typically located in a low shrub. The usual clutch size is three to four eggs. Many of the eggs result from pairings outside of the dominant male.

Distribution

South-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania.

Habitat

Areas with thick undergrowth.

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