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Fairy Gerygone
(Gerygone palpebrosa)
: "Black-throated Warbler", "Black-throated Flyeater", "Fairy Warbler",
"Fairy Flyeater"
Size: 10-11.5 cm
Weight: 6-9 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Fairy Gerygones are very small birds found in
rainforest or
intertidal wetlands.
Their plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are different.
Male
Fairy Gerygones of race
"flavida"
have a mid-grey head and a brownish-grey
back, including the tail. Their throat and chest are olive-grey,
except for white moustachial stripes and a white frons. The front,
from chest to undertail coverts, is lemon-yellow.
Males
of race "personata" have a dark-grey head and back and also a
dark-grey "bib", with white moustachial stripes and a white frons,
but without any visible eye-rings.
This race has a much higher front-to-back colour contrast than race
"flavida".
Fairy Gerygones do not have either eye-rings or eyebrows.
Female
Fairy Gerygones of both races have a brownish-grey head, a
greyish-white frons and a yellowish-white throat. The front,
from chest to undertail coverts, is lemon-yellow.
Female
Fairy Gerygones have very thin white eye-rings.
The eyes of both sexes have red irises. The bill and lores
are dark-grey, while the legs and feet are grey.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Compared to White-throated
Gerygones, male Fairy Gerygones have a much darker head, while
the front of females has duller colours.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Fairy
Gerygone at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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
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The global distribution of the Fairy Gerygone is available
HERE
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Fairy Gerygones populate West Papua (Indonesia), New Guinea and
north-eastern Australia.
In Australia there are two races, both of which are endemic to the
continent.
Race "personata"
populates the coastal fringe of Cape York peninsula, from about the
Embley River on the West coast, around the tip and along the East
coast, to about Port Douglas, QLD.
South of Port Douglas race
"flavida"
is found, whose range extends along the (near-)coastal fringe down
South to (and including) Fraser Island, QLD.
Fairy Gerygones have a preference for
rainforest and
mangrove.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "personata"
B. Hensen reports spotting a Fairy Gerygone, race
"personata",
at Iron Range NP, QLD, in December 2018.
Race "flavida"
B. Hensen reports spotting a Fairy Gerygone, race
"flavida",
at Julatten, QLD, in July 2013, and again in November 2018.
M. Eaton also found Fairy Gerygones, race
"flavida",
at Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, in November 2018.
J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports finding a Fairy Gerygone, race
"flavida",
at the Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, in June 2020.
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Photos |
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Race "personata"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Fairy Gerygone; note the
dark-grey chin and chest, which are characteristic for males
of this race; also the white frons and moustachial stripes
identify this bird as a male (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, QLD, December 2018]
Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Fairy Gerygone
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, QLD, December 2018]
Near-frontal/ventral view of a male Fairy Gerygone
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, QLD, December 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a male Fairy Gerygone
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, QLD, December 2018]
Race "flavida"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
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Frontal view of a male Fairy Gerygone; note the olive-grey
chest, which is characteristic for males of this race; also the
white frons and moustachial stripes identify this bird as
a male (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]
Lateral view of a male Fairy Gerygone
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Julatten, QLD, July 2013]
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FEMALE |
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Ventral view of a female Fairy Gerygone; note the inconspicuous
white submoustachial stripe, without grey around it
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, June 2020]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Lateral view of a juvenile Fairy Gerygone; note the absence of
a white streak by the side of the throat
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kingfisher Park, Julatten, QLD, November 2018]
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.