The purple-crowned fairywren is the largest of the 11 species or Australasian wren species. They are found in northern Australia. Their species’ name hails from the Latin word cǒrōna meaning “crown”, and is in reference to the distinctive purple circle of crown feathers displayed by breeding males. While these birds face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of ranching (which causes their feeding and breeding grounds to be trampled), fires, and fire suppression efforts, which cause soil denudation (erosion and degradation); and invasive species these wrens are still abundant enough to be listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, their numbers of approximately 19,000 are decreasing.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Malurus coronatus
Weight: Up to .46 ounce
Length: Up to 5.5 inches
Wingspan: Up to 6.3 inches
Lifespan: Up to 17 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) They prefer riparian habitats with thick vegetation, like well-developed midstoreys comprised of thick shrubs or tall, dense thickets of river grass.
2.) Unlike their sister species, the splendid fairywren, they have not adapted to urbanized habitats very well and have suffered severe population loss in some areas.
3.) These birds were first described by the ornithologist John Gould in 1858.
4.) Just like other fairywrens, the purple-crowned fairywren is not related to true wrens.
5.) Combined mitochondrial and nuclear DNA from these wren’s genomes suggests that their lineage diverged from those of the splendid and superb fairywrens up to 8 million years ago.
But wait, there’s more on the purple-crowned fairywren!
6.) These evolutionary radiations followed a much earlier split of the grasswrens from what would become the emu-wrens and fairy wrens up to 23 million years ago.
7.) There are 2 currently recognized subspecies: western purple-crowned fairywren and MacGillivray’s fairywren.
Did you know…?
During the breeding season, adult males will develop incredible bright purple feathers on their crown. These feathers are bordered by a black face mask and capped with an oblong spot of black feathers on top of their head.
8.) The calls of these fairywrens can be described as a lower pitch, and quite loud series of a “cheepa-cheepa-cheepa”, a “chet”, and a harsh “zit”.
9.) Territories of up to 980 feet of river length are maintained throughout the year.
10.) Breeding can occur year round. However, peaks in March – May and late August – November are also common.
But wait, there’s still more on the purple-crowned fairywren!
11.) Only the females construct the small dome shaped nests that are built mainly of grass, fine rootlets, leaves, and strips of bark.
12.) Up to 3 broods per year are produced.
Did you know…?
Goannas, common and brown tree snakes, pythons, and pheasant coucals prey on these birds; while cuckoos commonly lay their eggs in these wren’s nests. Cats and black rats also prey on these birds.
13.) Females lay up to 3 eggs in successive days that hatch in up to 14 days, and only the females incubate the eggs.
14.) Inbreeding does occur and at great costs to the hatchling’s fitness and future breeding success.
15.) Ants, beetles, bugs, grasshoppers, larvae, moths, spiders, wasps, and worms, plus small quantities of seeds are all consumed.
But wait, there’s still a tad more on the purple-crowned fairywren!
16.) The Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) joined with Wungurr Rangers and pastoralists in the north-west Kimberley in an effort to protect parts of these bird’s habitat by removing Ornamental rubbervine, an invasive plant.
17.) Active conservation is urgent as only 17% of the habitat of these birds occurs in conservation reserves in the Kimberley Region. Small populations on the northern Pentecost and Isdell Rivers are at the greatest risk of extirpation, and desperately need a fine-scale targeted approach to help conserve them.
18.) Suggested management actions needed at key sites consist of controlling access of stock and feral herbivores to riparian areas and excluding livestock from riparian zones; minimizing the incidence of fires that affect fire-sensitive vegetation by creating improved fire-regimes; controlling the spread of weeds; preservation of quality riparian habitat (including both on and off-reserve protection); and restoring riparian habitat, in high risk areas.
Now a Short Purple-Crowned Fairywren Video!
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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
Photo credit: Graham Winterflood
