White-shouldered Fairywren
Malurus alboscapulatus
The common and widespread fairywren of grasslands. A small bird with a long tail that it often cocks. Male is all black with a white shoulder patch. Females vary geographically, brown in some areas and black in others, but always have white throat, chest and a broken white eye-ring. The male Pied Bushchat has a similar color scheme but White-shouldered Fairywren has a much longer tail that it cocks. Song, a constantly repeated, high-pitched, jumbled phrase. Call a dry rattle.
Identification
The adult male is all shiny black except for their white shoulders (scapulars), but unlike the better-known Australian fairywrens there is no eclipse male plumage. The tail is shorter than that of other fairywrens. The bill is black, and the feet and eyes are black or dark brown. The females of M. a. alboscapulatus and M. a. naimii bear a pied plumage, with black upperparts contrasting with white shoulders and underparts.
Taxonomy
The white-shouldered fairywren was first described by the German naturalist Adolf Bernhard Meyer in 1874. It is one of eleven species in the genus Malurus and is most closely related to a pair of Australian species, the red-backed and white-winged fairywrens, with which it makes up a phylogenetic clade. These three species were termed the bicoloured wrens by ornithologist Richard Schodde, and are notable for their lack of head patterns and ear tufts, and their uniform black or blue plumage with contrasting shoulder or wing colour. They replace each other geographically across northern Australia and New Guinea.<p>Its species name is derived from the Latin words albus "white" and scapulae "shoulder-blades". Alternative names for the white-shouldered fairywren include the black-and-white fairywren, black-and-white wren, black-and-white wren-warbler and white-shouldered wren.<p>Six geographically isolated subspecies are currently recognized. They are differentiated by the differences in female plumage as the males of all six are indistinguishable.
- Scientific name
- Malurus alboscapulatus
- Authority
- Meyer, AB, 1874
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Maluridae
- Genus
- Malurus
Range and habitat
The preferred habitats of the white-shouldered fairywren are lowland cleared areas; grassland, village gardens, and cane-grass.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Slaty-backed Gull
Larus schistisagus
Thickset, short-winged, pot-bellied gull. Adult has dark gray back and wings, intense pink legs, and an especially large white “crescent” (white tertial edges) near the wingtips when perched. Breeding adult white-headed; nonbreeding birds have variably heavy brown streaking on the head and upper breast. Takes four years for immatures to progress from mostly brown to fully white and gray adult plumage; intermediate plumages are often mottled and messy. Often looks rather frosty by the first winter; starts to develop a gray back and whitish eye in its second year. Primarily an Asian species, found in coastal regions from Japan and South Korea to Russia. Regularly occurs in western Alaska, but very rare elsewhere in North America.
Lesser Yellownape
Picus chlorolophus
Medium-sized woodpecker with a colorful crest. Coloration varies considerably based on range, but always look for a bright yellow hindcrest, overall greenish coloration, and white-barred chest. Greater Yellownape is significantly larger with an all-gray belly. Forages along trunks, branches, and on the ground in forested lowlands and foothills; sometimes accompanies mixed-species foraging flocks. Listen for its oddly raptor-like “pyeeeah.”
Nazca Booby
Sula granti
Large seabird, very similar to Masked Booby. Long and pointy on all ends: wings, tail, and bill. Adults mostly gleaming white with black flight feathers and face; note pinkish-orange (not yellow) bill to help separate from adult Masked. Young birds darker overall with brown head contrasting with white belly and dirty brown markings on underwings; very similar to young Masked or even adult Brown Booby. Found in the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to Peru where it feeds on fish; breeds on rocky islands, especially the Galapagos.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.