Malurus splendens
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The splendid fairywren (Malurus splendens) is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is also known simply as the splendid wren or more colloquially in Western Australia as the blue wren. The splendid fairywren is found across much of the Australian continent from central-western New South Wales and southwestern Queensland over to coastal Western Australia. It inhabits predominantly arid and semiarid regions. Exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism, the male in breeding plumage is a small, long-tailed bird of predominantly bright blue and black colouration. Nonbreeding males, females, and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown in colour; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous, as all dull-coloured birds were taken for females. It comprises several similar all blue-and-black subspecies that were originally considered separate species.
Like other fairywrens, the splendid fairywren is notable for several peculiar behavioural characteristics; the birds are socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, meaning that although they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner mates with other individuals and even assists in raising the young from such trysts. Male fairywrens pluck pink or purple petals and display them to females as part of a courtship display.
The habitat of the splendid fairywren ranges from forest to dry scrub, generally with ample vegetation for shelter. Unlike the eastern superb fairywren, it has not adapted well to human occupation of the landscape and has disappeared from some urbanised areas. The splendid fairywren mainly eats insects and supplements its diet with seeds. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Rottnest Island | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perth | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Springs Desert Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Splendid Fairywren sighting in Rottnest Island on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 69th most-seen of the 81 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Splendid Fairywren in Rottnest Island on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Rottnest Island's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 5 mm in December.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Splendid Fairywren sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Splendid Fairywren sightings, Rottnest Island ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (Australia, about 40%) and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Splendid Fairywren that you can see in Rottnest Island (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Australian Raven (about 90%), Welcome Swallow (about 90%) and Singing Honeyeater (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Splendid Fairywren is recorded against all the birds logged in Rottnest Island (7 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.
