Purple-backed Fairywren

Malurus assimilis North, 1901

Purple-backed Fairywren, Malurus assimilis, is a bird of Australia, breeding across much of the mainland except the south-west, north-east, south-east and Tasmania. It belongs to the Australasian wrens and was described by North in 1901. The species shows marked differences between the sexes. Breeding males have chestnut shoulders and blue on the crown and ear coverts. Non-breeding males, females and young are mainly grey-brown, though females of two subspecies are mostly blue-grey. It lives in scrubland with thick vegetation that gives dense cover.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Maluridae — Australasian Wrens

Breeding range

Australasia: Australia (except sw, ne, se and Tasmania)