Lovely Fairywren Malurus amabilis Scientific name definitions

12–13 cm; 8–11 g. Male in Bright plumage has crown, mantle and ear-tufts azure-blue, scapulars bright rufous, lores, nape, lower back, throat and breast black; upperwing blackish; tail dusky blue with broad white tip (tail often fanned); belly white; iris brown; bill black; legs brown-black. Female has crown to lower back smoky blue, lores and orbital ring white, ear-tufts turquoise-blue, wings dark grey, tail smoky blue with broad white tip, undersurface creamy white; bare parts as male. Male in Dull plumage is variable, may resemble female or may assume grey-brown plumage. Immature resembles female, but duller, with dusky-brown bill.

N Queensland (from N tip of Cape York Peninsula S to Edward R and, in E, to Townsville–Atherton Tableland), in NE Australia.

Insectivorous. Forages in pairs and small groups. Exploits trees and shrubs in preference to feeding on the ground; fans tail while gleaning from branches and leaves. A strong flier.

Song a reel typical of genus, but relatively weak, as those of rest of “chestnut-shouldered group”. Contact call a drawn-out “treeee”, repeated; alarm a brief “zit” .