Malurus melanocephalus
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The red-backed fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus) is a species of passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia and can be found near rivers and coastal areas along the northern and eastern coastlines from the Kimberley in the northwest to the Hunter Region in New South Wales. The male adopts a striking breeding plumage, with a black head, upperparts and tail, and a brightly coloured red back and brown wings. The female has brownish upperparts and paler underparts. The male in eclipse plumage and the juvenile resemble the female. Some males remain in non-breeding plumage while breeding.
The red-backed fairywren mainly eats insects, and supplements its diet with seed and small fruit. The preferred habitat is heathland and savannah, particularly where low shrubs and tall grasses provide cover. It can be nomadic in areas where there are frequent bushfires, although pairs or small groups of birds maintain and defend territories year-round in other parts of its range. Groups consist of a socially monogamous pair with one or more helper birds who assist in raising the young. These helpers are progeny that have attained sexual maturity yet remain with the family group for one or more years after fledging. The red-backed fairywren is sexually promiscuous, and each partner may mate with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such pairings. Older males in breeding plumage are more likely to engage in this behaviour than are those breeding in eclipse plumage. As part of a courtship display, the male wren plucks red petals from flowers and displays them to females. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-backed Fairy-wren sighting in Lamington National Park on a given day, based on 169 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 72nd most-seen of the 171 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, July, September and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-backed Fairy-wren in Lamington National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–June, August, October and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-backed Fairy-wren sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Red-backed Fairy-wren sightings, Lamington National Park ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 20%), Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Nitmiluk National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same genus: Malurus
The closest relatives of the Red-backed Fairy-wren that you can see in Lamington National Park (genus Malurus, Typical Fairywrens) are Superb Fairywren (about 50%) and Variegated Fairywren (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-backed Fairy-wren is recorded against all the birds logged in Lamington National Park (169 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
