Wild kids

Common name: Splendid Fairy-wren
Scientific name: Malurus splendens
Photo: M. Seyfort/Nature Focus, Australian Museum

Birds

Splendid Fairy-wren

Splendid Fairy-wrens are small birds that live in groups in woodlands with open undergrowth, in south-west and inland south-east Australia. They have fine, straight, pointed beaks and feet with three toes facing forwards and one toe facing backwards. They call with a loud, rippling warble.

This male Splendid Fairy-wren is feeding his chicks in their grass ball nest.

Splendid Fairy-wrens hop around through the understorey in small groups searching for insects to eat during the day. They pick up insects in their beak and swallow them whole. They remove the hard outer layer of seeds and then crush the seeds with their strong beak.

Splendid Fairy-wrens make nests with a side entrance from a hollow ball of grass. They build their nests in thick bushes. Females lay three white, oval eggs that have red-brown spots. The female sits on the eggs for 15 days. When the eggs hatch the chicks are helpless and without feathers. All members of the group feed the chicks until they have feathers and are ready to fly in two weeks.