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Fairywrens, grasswrens
Order:
Passeriformes
Family: Maluridae
30 species; 5 genera (Clytomyias, Sipodotus, Malurus, Stipiturus and Amytornis) see Christidis and Schodde (1997) for a recent phylogenetic analysis.
The tree-wrens (Sipodotus) and russet-wrens (Clytomyias) are found only in New Guinea, while emu-wrens (Stipiturus) and grasswrens (Amytornis) are found only in Australia. Fairy-wrens (Malurus) are found in both Australia and New Guinea.
open woods and scrub of Australia, New Guinea and offshore islands;
12-22 cm; bill thin, wings rounded; tail long cocked over back; male more brightly colored (esp. Malurus) or similar to female (e.g., Amytornis); plumage often with bright blue or reddish patches or brown with streaks; mean mass ranges from 5.4 g for the Rufous-crowned emu-wren (Stipiturus ruficeps) to 34.1 g for the White-throated grasswren (Amytornis woodwardi; Rowley and Russell 1997, p. 33).
Insectivores. Most species forage on or near the ground.
2-5 eggs in open or domed nest.
Monogamous socially, but in superb fairy-wrens up to 95% of nests contain at least one extra-pair young. Overall, 76% of young are sired by extra-pair males (Mulder et al. 1994). Female superb fairy-wrens chose extra-pair males that molt earlier into their bright blue breeding plumage. Males molt up to five months before the breeding season begins, and only males that molt at least a month before it begins gain any extra-pair paternity (Dunn and Cockburn 1999). High levels of extra-pair paternity are also found in other species (Brooker et al. 1990, S. Pruett-Jones, pers. comm.)
Biparental care, usually with helpers. All species have been reported living in groups at some time, and most, if not all, are probably cooperative breeders (Rowley and Russell 1997, pp. 86-88). Cooperative breeding is most likely a consequence of a shortage of mates, rather than a shortage of suitable habitat (Pruett-Jones and Lewis 1990).
Both sexes sing, as well as all members of the social group. Songs are 1-4 seconds long. Sonograms are presented and discussed by Rowley and Russell (1997, pp. 64-74). Playback experiments in three species of Malurus indicate that birds can distinguish between the songs of different individuals. In particular, they respond more strongly to the songs of strangers than to songs of familiar group members.
In superb fairy-wrens, males sing two types of song, one is similar to that of the female's song, while the second song type is given in response to calls of predators or potential predators. The second song type is only given by males, and it may advertise a male's quality to neighboring females (Langmore and Mulder 1992).
Brooker, M.G., I. Rowley, M. Adams, and P.R. Baverstock. 1990. Promiscuity: an inbreeding avoidance mechanism in a socially monogamous species? Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 26: 191-199.
Christidis, L., and R. Schodde. 1997. Relationships within the Australo-Papuan fairy-wrens (Aves: Maluridae): an evaluation of the utility of allozyme data. Aus. J. Zool. 45: 113-129.
Dunn, P.O., and A. Cockburn. 1999. Extrapair mate choice and honest signaling in cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wrens. Evolution 53: 938-946.
Langmore, N.E., and R.A. Mulder. 1992. A novel context for bird song: Predator calls prompt male singing in the kleptogamous superb fairy-wren, Malurus cyaneus. Ethology 90: 143-153.
Mulder, R.A. 1995. Natal and breeding dispersal in a co-operative, extra-group-mating bird. J. Avian Biol. 26: 234-240.
Mulder, R.A. 1997. Extra-group courtship and other reproductive tactics of superb fairy-wrens. Aus. J. Zool. 45: 131-143.
Pruett-Jones, S.J., and M.J. Lewis. 1990. Sex ratio and habitat limitation promote delayed dispersal in superb fairy-wrens. Nature 348: 541-542.
Rowley, I., and E. Russell. 1997. Fairy-wrens and grasswrens. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford.
Schodde, R. 1982. The fairy-wrens: a monograph of the Maluridae. Lansdowne, Melbourne.
Tuttle, E.M., S. Pruett-Jones, and M.S. Webster. 1996. Cloacal protuberances and extreme sperm production in Australian fairy-wrens. Proc. Royal Soc. London B 263: 1359-1364.