Within the genus it is most closely related to the superb fairywren.

Several courtship displays by superb fairywren males have been recorded.

Like other fairywrens, the superb fairywren is unrelated to the true wren.

It also serves as shelter in the garden for small birds such as the superb fairywren.

Like all fairywrens, the superb fairywren is an active and restless feeder, particularly on open ground near shelter, but also through the lower foliage.

The superb fairywren is a cooperative breeding species, with pairs or groups of 3-5 birds maintaining and defending small territories year-round.

Unlike the eastern superb fairywren, it has not adapted well to human occupation of the landscape and has disappeared from some urbanised areas.

Female helpers are much more common in this species than the other species intensively studied, the superb fairywren (M. cyaneus).

Superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus)

On 12 August 1999, a superb fairywren was mistakenly illustrated for an Australia Post 45c pre-stamped envelope meant to depict a splendid fairywren.

Like other fairywrens, the superb fairywren is notable for its marked sexual dimorphism, males adopting a highly visible breeding plumage of brilliant iridescent blue contrasting with black and grey-brown.

The greater vasa parrot ( Coracopsis vasa ) of Madagascar, and the superb fairywren ( Malurus cyaneus ) of Australia have comparable rates of promiscuity.

In the east, the superb fairywren spread into Tasmania during a glacial period when the sea level was low and the island was connected with the rest of the continent via a land bridge.

The variegated fairywren was officially described by Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827, and was at first considered a colour variant of the superb fairywren.

William Anderson, surgeon and naturalist on Captain James Cook's third voyage, collected the first superb fairywren specimen in 1777 while traveling off the coast of eastern Tasmania, in Bruny Island's Adventure Bay.

In urban situations such as suburban Sydney, these wrens have been said prefer areas with more cover than the related superb fairywren, though a 2007 survey in Sydney's northern suburbs has proposed that variegated fairywrens may prefer areas of higher plant diversity rather than denser cover as such.

Male song and the dawn chorus of the superb fairy-wren.

An alternative mating strategy in the socially monogamous superb fairy-wren.

The superb fairy-wren eats mostly insects and supplements its diet with seeds.

One example of a hidden benefit involves Malarus cyaneus, the superb fairy-wren.

Among the most spectacular is the Superb Fairy-wren.

Like other fairy-wrens, the Superb Fairy-wren is unrelated to the true wren.

A male Superb Fairy-wren with his glistening black and intense blue plumage was stunning.

Also contains close perspective Superb Fairy-wren.

Description: The Superb fairy-wren is a common and familiar bird found in Eastern Australia.

Ornithologist Richard Schodde has reported that the subspecific classification of the superb fairy-wren requires further review.

Habitat: The Superb Fairy-wren is found in Eastern Australia.

Avian polyandry is not widespread, but is illustrated by the superb fairy-wren, where the male's family can easily comprise young that it did not father.

Superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)

One of the interesting bits of information Ian gave us was the male Superb Fairy-wren returns to his eclipse plumage after the breeding season.

Superb Fairy-Wren Habitat in Glebe and Forest Lodge - a community based conservation project (2008).

The superb fairy-wren is one of 12 species of the genus Malurus, commonly known as fairy-wrens, found in Australia and lowland New Guinea.

Prior to urban development the native shrubs and bushland were populated by large numbers of small insect-eating birds such as the superb fairy-wren and the eastern yellow robin.

Within the genus, the superb fairy-wren's closest relative is the splendid fairywren; these two "blue wrens" are also related to the purple-crowned fairywren of northwestern Australia.

On 12 August 1999, a Superb Fairy-wren was mistakenly illustrated for an Australia Post 45c pre-stamped envelope meant to depict a Splendid Fairy-wren.

NE, Mulder RA. (1992): A novel context for bird vocalization: predator calls prompt male singing in the kleptogamous superb fairy-wren, 'Malurus cyaneus'.

The superb fairy-wren can be found in almost any area that has at least a little dense undergrowth for shelter, including grasslands with scattered shrubs, moderately thick forest, woodland, heaths, and domestic gardens.

The breeding season for the superb fairy-wren is between September and February and a female may have three consecutive broods in this time, allowing the cuckoo multiple attempts to parasitise this species.

The 'Superb Fairy-wren' ('Malurus cyaneus'), also known as 'Superb Blue-wren' or colloquially as 'Blue wren', is a common and familiar passerine bird of the Maluridae family.

Now, in the current issue of the journal Nature, researchers report finding that at least one bird, a dazzling creature aptly named the superb fairy-wren, has evolved the ability to recognize the cuckoo chick for what it is.

Like other fairy-wrens, the superb fairy-wren is notable for several peculiar behavioural characteristics; the birds are socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, meaning that although they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner will mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings.

Over 100 species of birds have been recorded here -- from tiny weebills & superb fairy wrens to wedgetail & sea eagles.

Birds such as rainbow lorikeets, Australian king parrots, crimson rosellas, currawongs, variegated wrens, black-faced cuckoo-shrikes, superb fairy wrens and silvereyes are some of the many birds found here.

My aim is to investigate the importance and degree of metabolic adjustment during seasonal acclimatization in superb fairy wrens (Malurus cyaneus) and determine how it compares with that in north temperate passerines.