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Red-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus melanocephalus) Alternate name(s): "Red-backed Wren", "Scarlet-backed Wren", "Black-headed Wren", "Orange-backed Wren" Aboriginal name(s): "banjal" [ngadjon] Size: 10-13 cm Body mass: 5-10 g

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 Red-backed Fairy-wrens are tiny birds with long tails. Like all other Australian fairy-wren species, their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. In addition, male Red-backed Fairy-wren have different breeding and eclipse plumages. Male Red-backed Fairy-wrens in breeding plumage are almost all black, except for their orange-red back and rump. The tail and bill are also black. The legs and feet are pinkish-grey. Female Red-backed Fairy-wrens have a fawn-white front and a reddish grey-brown head, back and tail, with somewhat darker flight feathers. The bill, legs and feet are orange-brown. Male Red-backed Fairy-wrens in eclipse resemble females, but may have traces of red on the back. Juvenile Red-backed Fairy-wrens resemble females; only, when very young, with shorter tail feathers.

Taxonomy, classification See Red-backed 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 Red-backed Fairy-wren is available HERE . Red-backed Fairy-wrens are endemic to Australia. The range of Red-backed Fairy-wrens is constrained to the tropical North of the Australian continent and the northern part of the East coast and associated hill ranges. They are found only to the North of the Hunter River in NSW, in the eastern half of QLD, all of Cape York peninsula, the northern half of the NT and the Kimberley in WA, with a southern boundary line on the geographic latitude of Carratha, WA. From the NSW North Coast to about a line connecting Cairns, QLD, with the Channel Country in South-West inland QLD, one finds nominate race "melanocephalus". From that line, to the western edge of the Kimberley, the tropical North is populated by race "cruentatus". Red-backed Fairy-wrens are usually found in dense, low growth, often undergrowth in various types of forest or open woodland. They are also found in reeds around swamps and, in drier habitats, in "Spinifex" grassland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "melanocephalus" D. Bauer reports finding Red-backed Fairy-wrens, nominate race "melanocephalus", along the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, QLD, regularly since early 2005. M. Eaton also reports spotting Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "melanocephalus", at Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, in August 2023. Other contributors also report finding Red-backed Fairy-wrens, nominate race "melanocephalus", in various locations along the eastern coastal fringe of Australia, in both NSW and QLD. Race "cruentatus" J. Greaves reports spotting Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "cruentatus", at Ringer Soak, WA, 120 km South-East of Halls Creek, in May 2014, and at Wyndham, WA, in January 2016. The species was also seen at Wurrumiyanga, Bathurst Island, NT, in September 2016. We first spotted Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "cruentatus", at Holmes Jungle NR in Darwin, NT, in August 2014. H. Mouritsen reports spotting Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "cruentatus", in various locations in and around Darwin, NT, in October 2015. B. Hensen reports finding Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "cruentatus", at Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, in August 2017. They were found by P. Brown at the same location in February 2018. P. Brown reports finding Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "cruentatus", semi-regularly in various locations of the Top End, NT, e.g. along the Marrakai track. They were also found in Keep River NP and around Timber Creek, NT, in November 2018 and again in September 2020. M. Eaton also found Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "cruentatus", at Timber Creek, NT, in July 2020. A. Lee reports spotting Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "cruentatus", at East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, in Juy 2020. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports finding Red-backed Fairy-wrens, race "cruentatus", regularly in various locations around the Atherton Tablelands, QLD.

Photos

Race "melanocephalus"

ADULT

PAIR

Near-lateral/lateral view of a pair of Red-backed Fairy-wrens, male in breeding plumage
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

MALE

BREEDING

Full-frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, October 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, October 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in post-breeding moult (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oxley Common, Brisbane, QLD, August 2017]

Near-lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Paradise Dam, Burnett River, near Gayndah, QLD, April 2016]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage looking at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Fleming)
[Arakoon NP, near South West Rocks, NSW, January 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Horseshoe Lagoon, Hodel Road, Burdekin, QLD, September 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, October 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Paradise Dam, Burnett River, near Gayndah, QLD, April 2016]

Dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage looking away from the observer, here seen next to a Red-browed Finch (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage, now preening, next to a Red-browed Finch (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)

Frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren moulting into breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, July 2022]

Near-lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren moulting into breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, July 2022]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren moulting into breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, July 2022]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren moulting out of breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage; note the dark upper mandible of the bill, which suggests that this bird is probably not a female (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Postman's Track, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, November 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Red-backed Fairy-wren; the rather dark bill, black edges on the wing coverts and black suffusion of the tail feathers suggest that this may be a male in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, July 2022]

Lateral view of a Red-backed Fairy-wren; the rather dark bill, black edges on the wing coverts and black suffusion of the tail feathers suggest that this may be a male in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, July 2022]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Noosa, QLD, December 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a Red-backed Fairy-wren; the rather dark bill, black edges on the wing coverts and black suffusion of the tail feathers suggest that this may be a male in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, July 2022]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, October 2021]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oxley Common, Brisbane, QLD, August 2017]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Paradise Dam, Burnett River, near Gayndah, QLD, April 2016]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, October 2021]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren in tail moult (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, July 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a sub-adult male Red-backed Fairy-wren that is in the process of moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, December 2016]

Frontal view of a sub-adult male Red-backed Fairy-wren moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Kilcoy, QLD, December 2016]

Dorsal view of a sub-adult male Red-backed Fairy-wren moulting into its first adult plumage (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Kilcoy, QLD, December 2016]

Race "cruentatus"

ADULT

PAIR

Pair of Red-backed Fairy-wrens - male in breeding plumage and female (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Pair of Red-backed Fairy-wrens - male in breeding plumage and female (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Timber Creek airport, Timber Creek, NT, November 2018]

MALE

BREEDING

Frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage issuing its call
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, November 2022]

Frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage looking sideways
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, October 2022]

Frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage looking sideways
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, March 2020]

Close-up near-frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage issuing its call
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, November 2022]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage issuing its call
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, November 2022]

Near-lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage issuing its call
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, March 2020]

Near-lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Lake Tinaroo, Atherton Tablelands, QLD, September 2020]

Near-lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wyndham, WA, January 2016]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, March 2020]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage issuing its call
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, March 2020]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of two male Red-backed Fairy-wrens in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Timber Creek airport, Timber Creek, NT, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, March 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, March 2020]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren moulting into non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren moulting into non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2017]

Note that males in pure non-breeding plumage are very hard to distinguish from females.

Frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage; note the dark upper mandible
[Holmes Jungle NP, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marrakai track, Top End, NT, August 2018]

Near-frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, August 2018]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Timber Creek airport, Timber Creek, NT, November 2018]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Timber Creek airport, Timber Creek, NT, November 2018]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, August 2018]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage
[Holmes Jungle NP, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage; note the dark upper mandible of the bill and the rusty hue on the wing indicating that this bird is not a female (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Policeman's Point, Timber Creek, NT, November 2018]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, July 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage
[Holmes Jungle NP, Darwin, NT, in August 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, August 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

FEMALE

Note that females are very hard to distinguish from males in pure non-breeding plumage.

Close-up frontal view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Near-frontal view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, July 2022]

Near-frontal view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren; note that the bill is entirely orange, without any grey/black in it
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wyndham, WA, January 2016]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

Lateral view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile male Red-backed Fairy-wren with a dark bill - such sub-adult males are capable of breeding, despite their juvenile plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile male Red-backed Fairy-wren with a dark bill (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile male Red-backed Fairy-wren with a dark bill, now with its tail cocked (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Family clan

Food, Diet

Fairy-wrens feed on small animals, such as insects.

Near-frontal view of a Red-backed Fairy-wren with its prey, a caterpillar (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, July 2022]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage with its prey, a small beetle
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, August 2018]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren in non-breeding plumage with its prey, a small beetle
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, August 2018]

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.

rbfairy_art_20131202.m4a	melanocephalus (SE QLD)	Pair chattering	© ART
rbfairy_me_20211121.m4a	melanocephalus (SE QLD)	Warning/alarm calls	© ME
rbfairy_20150327.mp3	melanocephalus (NE NSW)	Various (family clan)	© MD
rbfairy_pb_20210212.m4a	cruentatus (Top End, NT)	Alarm calls (2 females; + Bar-shouldered Dove)	© MD
rbfairy_20140817.m4a	cruentatus (Top End, NT)	Various (family clan)	© MD
rbfairy_20140817_2.m4a	cruentatus (Top End, NT)	Various (family clan)	© MD
rbfairy_20140820.m4a	cruentatus (Darwin, NT)	Various (family clan)	© MD

More Red-backed Fairy-wren sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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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