Malurus

Malurus
Male superb fairywren
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Maluridae
Genus:	Malurus Vieillot, 1816
Type species
Motacilla cyanea[1] Ellis, 1782
Synonyms
Musciparus

Malurus is a genus of passerine birds in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae.

Taxonomy

The genus Malurus was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot to accommodate a single species, Motacilla cyanea Latham, the superb fairywren. This is the type species.^[2][3] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek μαλος/malos meaning "soft" or "delicate" with ουρα/oura meaning "tail".^[4]

Species

The genus contains 12 species:^[5]

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Malurus cyanocephalus	Emperor fairywren	New Guinea
	Malurus amabilis	Lovely fairywren	North-eastern Australia
	Malurus assimilis	Purple-backed fairywren	Central and Western Australia
	Malurus lamberti	Variegated fairywren	Eastern Australia
	Malurus pulcherrimus	Blue-breasted fairywren	Southern Western Australia and the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia
	Malurus elegans	Red-winged fairywren	South-western corner of Western Australia
	Malurus cyaneus	Superb fairywren	Australia and lowland New Guinea
	Malurus splendens	Splendid fairywren	Central and Western Australia
	Malurus coronatus	Purple-crowned fairywren	Northern Australia
	Malurus alboscapulatus	White-shouldered fairywren	New Guinea
	Malurus melanocephalus	Red-backed fairywren	Australia
	Malurus leucopterus	White-winged fairywren	Central Queensland and South Australia across to Western Australia

Former species

Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus Malurus including:

• Wallace's fairywren (as Malurus wallacei and Malurus wallacii)^[6]
• Broad-billed fairywren (as Malurus grayi)^[7]
• Campbell's fairywren (as Malurus campbelli)^[8]

References

1. "Maluridae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
2. Vieillot, Louis Pierre (1816). Analyse d'une Nouvelle Ornithologie Élémentaire (in French). Paris: Deterville/self. p. 44.
3. Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1986). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 391.
4. Jobling, James A. "Malurus". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
5. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (February 2025). "Lyrebirds, scrubbirds, bowerbirds, Australasian treecreepers, Australasian wrens". IOC World Bird List Version 15.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
6. "Sipodotus wallacii (Wallace's Fairywren) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
7. "Chenorhamphus grayi (Broad-billed Fairywren) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-11-15.
8. "Chenorhamphus campbelli (Campbell's Fairywren) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-11-15.

• Del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2007). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-96553-42-2