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Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (Malurus coronatus) Alternate name(s): "Crowned Superb Warbler", "Lilac-crowned Wren", "Purple-crowned Wren", "Lilac-crowned Fairy-wren", "Mauve-crowned Wren", "Purple-crowned Warbler", "Purple-crowned Wren-warbler" Size: 14-15.5 cm; wing span: ca. 16 cm Body mass: 9-13 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.15-0.20

Australia: Family Group 16 Family Group 16 Table Purple-crowned Fairy-wren White-winged Fairy-wren Splendid Fairy-wren Superb Fairy-wren Variegated Fairy-wren Purple-backed Fairy-wren Blue-breasted Fairy-wren Lovely Fairy-wren Red-winged Fairy-wren Red-backed Fairy-wren Southern Emu-wren Rufous-crowned Emu-wren Carpentarian Grasswren Eyrean Grasswren Striated Grasswren Thick-billed Grasswren Western Grasswren Dusky Grasswren Kalkadoon Grasswren Grey Grasswren Black Grasswren Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens are tiny birds with long tails. Despite their small size, they are the largest of the Australian fairy-wrens. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. In addition, male Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens have different breeding and eclipse plumages. Male Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens in breeding plumage have their name-giving purple crown, with a small black patch in the middle, above a black band spanning around the head, from the lores to the nape of the neck. The front is off-white (chin, throat) to mauve. The back is brownish-grey, while the tail is light-blue. In eclipse the head retains only black ear coverts, while the rest turns grey. Females resemble non-breeding males, but with brown ear coverts. Juveniles resemble females, but with a brownish cap, rather than grey.

Taxonomy, classification See Purple-crowned Fairy-wren at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren is available HERE . There are two races of Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, both of which are endemic to tropical northern Australia. Nominate race "coronatus" is found along only a small number of rivers in an area spanning from the Kimberley, WA, into the north-western inland NT. Race "macgillivrayi" populates the banks of rivers flowing to the South coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria from the South-west. Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens have a strong preference for dense thickets along permanent inland rivers. They are often found in pandanus or canegrass, in particular with emergent trees, most notably paperbark eucalypts.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "coronatus" B. Hensen reports finding Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, nominate race "coronatus", along the Victoria River, in the south-western NT, in July 2018. M. Eaton spotted Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, nominate race "coronatus", at the Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, in July 2020 and again in June/July 2026. P. Brown found Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, nominate race "coronatus", at the Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, in September 2020. Race "macgillivrayi" M. Mearns reports finding Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, race "macgillivrayi", in Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, north-western QLD, in July 2016, and again in September 2019. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours spotted Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, race "macgillivrayi", at Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, north-western QLD, in December 2020.

Photos

Race "coronatus"

This race is also called the "Western Purple-crowned Fairy-wren".

ADULT

PAIR

Frontal/near-dorsal view of a pair of Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, with the male in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a pair of Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, with the male in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Near-lateral/lateral view of a pair of Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, with the male in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a pair of Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, with the male in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

MALE

BREEDING

Frontal view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage; note the purple crown
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, September 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage; note the purple crown with the black central spot
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Near-lateral view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage; note the purple crown with the black central spot
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Distant dorsal view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Victoria River, NT, July 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Frontal view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, July 2020]

Race "macgillivrayi"

This race is also called "Macgillivray's Fairy-wren".

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Close-up frontal view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

View from above onto the name-giving crown of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, September 2019]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage, looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage looking upwards
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage looking towards the observer
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage, (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Lateral view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage, with a view of its whitish chin
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Purple-crowned Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, September 2019]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren; note the rufous ear coverts and the bluish-grey cap
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Frontal view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Frontal view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Partly obscured near-frontal view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Adles Grove, near Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, December 2020]

Dorsal/ventral view of a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Family clan

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

pucwren_me_20260709_3.m4a	coronatus (W NT)	Territorial call (male "rollicking")	© MD
pucwren_me_20260619_2.m4a	coronatus (W NT)	Territorial call (male "rollicking")	© MD
pucwren_me_20260619.m4a	coronatus (W NT)	Male warning + territorial calls	© MD
pucwren_me_20260618.m4a	coronatus (W NT)	Male alarm calls (+ Peaceful Dove)	© MD
pucwren_me_20260709.m4a	coronatus (W NT)	Male alarm calls, female response, territorial calls	© MD
pucwren_me_20260618_3.m4a	coronatus (W NT)	Male alarm calls, female response (+ Torresian Crow)	© MD
pucwren_me_20260618_2.m4a	coronatus (W NT)	Male alarm calls, female response (+ Peaceful Dove)	© MD
pucwren_me_20260709_2.m4a	coronatus (W NT)	Various	© MD

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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