Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Purple-backed Fairywren

Malurus assimilis North, 1901

14 cmLength8 gWeight

The purple-backed fairywren (Malurus assimilis) is a fairywren that is native to Australia.

Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Australia

Purple-backed Fairywren has been recorded at 27 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia1,820 records
  2. Broome Bird ObservatoryAustralia1,458 records
  3. Alice Springs Sewage PondsAustralia795 records
More places
  1. Fivebough WetlandsAustralia683 records
  2. Lake Cargelligo Wastewater Treatment PlantAustralia536 records
  3. Goschen Bushland ReserveAustralia411 records
  4. Gluepot ReserveAustralia365 records
  5. Herdsman LakeAustralia321 records
  6. Greater Bendigo National Park – KamarookaAustralia315 records
  7. Hattah-Kulkyne National ParkAustralia177 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The purple-backed fairywren (Malurus assimilis) is a fairywren that is native to Australia. Described by Alfred John North in 1901, it has four recognised subspecies. In a species that exhibits sexual dimorphism, the brightly coloured breeding male has chestnut shoulders and azure crown and ear coverts, while non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, although females of two subspecies have mainly blue-grey plumage.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Purple-backed Fairywren?

The Purple-backed Fairywren is about 14 cm long and weighs around 8 g.

Where does the Purple-backed Fairywren live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: Australia (except southwestern, northeastern, southeastern and Tasmania). It is most often recorded in Australia.

When is the best time to see the Purple-backed Fairywren?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and October (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Purple-backed Fairywren endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Purple-backed Fairywren as Least Concern.

What does the Purple-backed Fairywren eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Purple-backed Fairywren in?

It belongs to the family Australasian Wrens (Maluridae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
14 cm
Weight
8 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
48 mm
Tail
65 mm
Bill
12 mm
Tarsus
22 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: Australia (except southwestern, northeastern, southeastern and Tasmania)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Australasian Wrens Maluridae
Genus
Malurus

Other birds in the genus Malurus

Emperor FairywrenEmperor FairywrenMalurus cyanocephalusLovely FairywrenLovely FairywrenMalurus amabilisVariegated FairywrenVariegated FairywrenMalurus lambertiBlue-breasted FairywrenBlue-breasted FairywrenMalurus pulcherrimusRed-winged FairywrenRed-winged FairywrenMalurus elegansSuperb FairywrenSuperb FairywrenMalurus cyaneusSplendid FairywrenSplendid FairywrenMalurus splendensPurple-crowned FairywrenPurple-crowned FairywrenMalurus coronatusWhite-shouldered FairywrenWhite-shouldered FairywrenMalurus alboscapulatusRed-backed FairywrenRed-backed FairywrenMalurus melanocephalusWhite-winged FairywrenWhite-winged FairywrenMalurus leucopterus
Purple-backed Fairywren

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Charles Dove. ↗

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