Habitat
Shrubby margins of rainforests, including those bordering paperbark swamps and grassy woodlands and forests. Also in dense understorey of rainforest shrubs and vines beneath eucalypt and paperbark forests and woodlands.
Northern Queensland (from northern tip of Cape York Peninsula south to R Edward and, in east, to north of Townsville), in north-eastern Australia.
Coastal lowlands of Cape York Peninsula, south on the west coast to about Edwards River, possibly as far as the Norman River, and on the east coast to about Townsville, Qld.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Lovely Fairywren (Malurus amabilis) [XC746685]
by Marc Anderson from Mangrove Boardwalk, Cairns Qld, Australia (song)
Lovely Fairywren (Malurus amabilis) [XC326931]
by Jun MATSUI from Rossville, Cook Shire, Queensland, Australia (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Any month but mostly July - December.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Nest
Dome-shaped, composed of dried grasses and leaf skeletons, placed in a low bush.
Eggs (Guide)
2 - 4, usually 3; creamy white, very sparingly speckled with red-brown at the larger end; broad-oval; about 17 x 12 mm. Incubation: about 13 days; by female.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 12 days.
Subspecies
Part of the "chestnut-shouldered group", which includes also Variegated Fairy-wren (Malurus lamberti), Blue-breasted Fairy-wren (Malurus pulcherrimus) and Red-winged Fairy-wren (Malurus elegans). Forms a superspecies with Variegated Fairy-wren (Malurus lamberti) and sometimes considered conspecific, mainly on account of blue female plumage of present species and of subspecies dulcis and rogersi of latter, but protein data support treatment as separate species. Birds from south-east of range described as subspecies barroni, but considered inseparable from populations elsewhere.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
More... see more information (images, calls, videos etc)
BirdLife International Species Factsheet