Superb fairywren fact sheet – muruduwin

What are superb fairywrens?

Superb fairywrens are a tiny little bird that often seen in or near shrubs where they shelter from bigger birds. They will come out onto grass to feed on insects and seeds then retreat into bushes for safety.

These birds are found across most of south-eastern Australia in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

The scientific name for the superb fairywren is Malurus cyaneus. They are one of 11 different species of fairywrens but are actually not a wren at all. They are more closely related to honeyeaters and pardalotes. Other spellings for fairywrens include 'fairy wrens' or 'fairy-wrens'.

The Darug name for superb fairywren is muruduwin.

Male superb fairywren perched on a twig with a dark blue body and lighter blue head and tail. Male superb fairywrens have dark blue bodies and a lighter blue head.

Fast facts – Superb fairywren

Scientific name – Malurus cyaneus

Appearance – Tiny bird with a small rounded body and a long tail often held upright. In breeding season males have a bright blue head and tail with a dark blue body. Outside breeding season males look brown like females.

Where they live – Found across most of south-eastern Australia in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. They stay close to thick shrubs where they can hide from predators.

Food – Mostly insectivorous – they mainly eat insects but also small amounts of seeds and fruits.

Life cycle – Lay 2–4 eggs; eggs take about 14 days to hatch and chicks leave the nest after about 40 days. Young birds stay with their family group for one to two years helping to raise later broods.

What do superb fairywrens look like?

Superb fairywrens have small, rounded bodies and long tails that they hold upwards. Its tail makes a fairywren feeding in long grass easy to spot.

The male superb fairywren has bright blue colouring on his head and tail only during the breeding season. He then loses his blue feathers in autumn and winter.

Females, juveniles and males who are not breeding are a plain mid-brown colour.

Close-up of a male superb fairywren displaying his bright blue breeding plumage on the head and body. Male superb fairywren displaying his blue breeding plumage.

Female superb fairywren perched on a branch with mid-brown feathers and an upright tail. Female superb fairywren.

What do superb fairywrens sound like?

Superb fairywrens make a number of different calls but the most recognisable is a beautiful high-pitched tinkling sound.

https://bcove.video/42NiPtG

Male superb fairywren with neck stretched and beak slightly open while making a high-pitched tinkling call. Superb fairywrens make a beautiful high-pitched tinkling sound.

What do superb fairywrens eat?

Superb fairywrens are mostly insectivorous. This means they eat mostly insects but they also eat small amounts of seeds or fruits.

The birds usually feed by hopping around on grassy areas. They never stray far from thick bushes and undergrowth so they can quickly return to shelter when threatened.

Superb fairywren standing on the ground holding a small insect in its beak. Superb fairywrens mainly eat insects.

How are superb fairywrens adapted to their environment?

Superb fairywrens have short sharp beaks, ideal for picking up and crushing insects.

The males only grow their bright blue feathers during the breeding season. The rest of the year all fairywrens are a mid-brown colour so they camouflage or hide in their environment.

Super fairywrens share parenting tasks with other adults as well as the parents looking after the young.

Male superb fairywren on a branch showing his short sharp beak used for picking up and crushing insects. Superb fairywrens have sharp little beaks perfect for picking up and crushing insects.

What is the life cycle of superb fairywrens?

Superb fairywrens lay 2 to 4 eggs in a small dome-shaped nest made out of grass and spiderwebs. The chicks take about 14 days to hatch. They leave the nest in about 40 days. Unlike most birds the young superb fairywrens stay with their family for one to 2 years helping to raise other babies.

Female superb fairywren holding grass and spiderwebs in her beak to build a dome-shaped nest. The female superb fairywren collects materials to make her nest.

Two brown juvenile superb fairywrens perched together with upright tails. Young superb fairywrens stay with their family for a year or two.

What threats are there to superb fairywrens?

The predators of superb fairywrens include bigger carnivorous birds such as kookaburras, butcher birds, currawongs and ravens. Introduced species such as cats, foxes and rats are also a threat to eggs in the nest, baby birds and adults while they are feeding.

People can help protect fairywrens by planting thick shrubs for them to hide in.

Male superb fairywren perched inside a thick shrub, using the dense leaves as shelter from predators. Superb fairywrens prefer thick shrubs or bushes so they can hide from predators.

How are superb fairywrens important to Aboriginal Peoples?

There are many references to superb fairywrens in Aboriginal cultures around Australia.

The D’harawal people, whose traditional country is around Wollongong in NSW, have a Dreaming story where the superb fairywren gets his blue colours from the berries of the  Dianella  plant. They call this bird murrudoo’win. The Eora and Darug peoples of the Sydney area also call the superb fairywren muruduwin.

Bird of the Year

In October 2021 the superb fairywren was voted 'bird of the year' in a competition run by the Guardian newspaper and Birdlife Australia in which 40,000 Australians voted for their favourite bird. The tawny frogmouth came a close second.

Male superb fairywren standing on a wooden fence post showing his bright blue head and tail. The superb fairywren won Bird of the Year 2021.

More bird fact sheets

Habitats and food

Attributions

Image attributions

Male superb fairywren displaying his blue breeding plumage - "Superb Fairywren - Victoria - Australia_S4E5208" byfveronesi1 CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

Female superb fairywren - "Superb Fairy-wren female (Malurus cyaneus)" by patrickkavanagh is licensed under CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

Superb fairywrens make a beautiful high-pitched tinkling sound - "Superb Fairy Wren (Malurus cyaneus) (male) (10 centimetres)." by Geoff Whalan CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (cropped)

Superb fairywrens mainly eat insects - "Superb fairywren" by Stefan Marks CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (cropped)

Superb fairywrens have sharp little beaks perfect for picking up and crushing insects - "Superb fairywren" by f.rohart CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 (cropped)

The female superb fairywren collects materials to make her nest - "Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)" by David Cook Wildlife Photography CC BY-NC 2.0 (cropped)

Young superb fairywrens stay with their family for a year or two - "Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)" bypatrickkavanagh CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

The superb fairywren won bird of the year 2021! - "Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)" by patrickkavanagh CC BY 2.0 (cropped)