I’ve seen a few like that lately, Robin. Also quite noticeable is the hue of the male bird compared to the more tawny coloured female below. I have shot both in exactly the same light, and got a similar result.
Margaret Leggoe
From: Robin Eckermann [
Sent: Friday, 13 May 2011 3:20 PM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Superb Fairy Wrens - immature birds
On my morning walk today I spent a little time observing Superb Fairy Wrens - and was interested in the colouring of the upper bird (excuse the fairly ugly picture) ...
I assume the upper bird is an immature male given eye/beak colouring that is distinctively different from the typical female ...
However, I have not previously seen such a striking blue tail with almost no other traces of blue. I wondered whether those much more knowledgeable about these birds than I could advise whether this is just a transient phase along the way to emerging with full blue colours (as in the adult male at the bottom).
Regards ... Robin Eckermann
