Variegated Fairywren

Malurus lamberti

[Update] I originally posted this as Malurus elegans – The Red-winged fairywren. It still looks very much to me like the Red-winged fairywren but due to it’s location it’s almost certainly a Variegated fairywren.

In an effort to get some new material to post I camped myself out the back of the house with a camera for a while. I had a first try with Tom but sitting silently in the bush with a 3 year old was never going work! It turned out to be a productive trip in the end, if this bird is what I think it is I can’t find any reference of it being present in the Sydney area. After 15 minutes or so if sitting a pair of these tiny grey birds came into view, playing and chasing each other through the scrubby undergrowth. They really are small, not including the tail I would say less that 10cm from beak to bottom. Their call was a soft shrill, almost like the cross between a buzzing insect and a cherp.

Female Variegated fairywren – they are small ( about 10cm without tail ) and fast! bouncing through the undergrowth

Variegated fairywren – now you see her..

Variegated fairywren – and she’s gone!

After a bit more waiting a similar sized but much more brilliantly coloured individual appeared. He was always on the move, it was hard to get a good photo as he flew around in the trees and undergrowth, always avoiding exposed locations.

Male Variegated fairywren – stunning, almost luminous markings

Variegated fairywren. It was difficult to get a good photo as he darted about the undergrowth, never exposing himself.

When I got back and had a chance to process and study the photos I identified the birds as female and male Red-winged fairywrens. Yet another bird I’ve not heard of, but most interestingly they are only meant to be found in the south west corner of Western Australia. After some more searching it seems there is a very similar looking species called the Variegated fairywren that is much more widespread across Australia. It consists of 4 subspecies, one of which, Malurus lamberti lamberti is reported in suburban bushland in Sydney. The Variegated fairywren is found in forest undergrowth, they are constantly on le move and avoid open exposed positions. Like other fairywrens they are notable for their sexual dimorphism, with the male being very pretty and the female smart but a bit dull. They nest near the ground in a coarse dome of bark, leaves and grass usually concealed in dense vegetation. Breeding is from September to January, I spotted these guys today ( December ) maybe I was watching a courtship.

Resources and references

• Atlas of Living Australia
• Wikipedia
• Birds in Backyards
• Graeme Chapman – Photographer and ornithologist Links from original post to information on the Red-winged fairywren:
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Wikipedia
• BirdLife International
• Graeme Chapman – Photographer and ornithologist

• Backyard
• Bird
• Malurus Lamberti
• Native
• Variegated Fairywren