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16

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
Weight: 5-10 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Red-backed Fairy-wren at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "melanocephalus"

ADULT

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]

Male Red-backed Fairy-wren in breeding plumage seen next to a Red-browed Finch (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)

The same Red-backed Fairy-wren as above, 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

MALE

BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, August 2023]

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 M. Eaton)
[Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Red-backed Fairy-wren (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, August 2023]

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]

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]

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
[Holmes Jungle NP, Darwin, NT, in August 2014]

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

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]

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

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]

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

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]

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.