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Fairy Wrens ID

To: "Messages Birding-aus" <>
Subject: Fairy Wrens ID
From: "Bob Forsyth" <>
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 20:19:41 +1000
g'day all,
 
I certainly sympathise with Bob re ID of female, juvenile and non-breeding Fairy Wrens
 
Here in the Isa I frequently see Variegated and Red-backed feeding together as a combined clan.
On 2 occasions a group of White-winged F-w were only a few metres away from these combined clans.
(In this area the Red-backed and White-winged have a 20km territory overlap)
 
One day I was really surprised when I determined that a group of Variegated F-w included a single Red-backed F-w which was separated by 50m from the rest of its family group.
 
ID of Variegated F-w are easy because of their lores but Red-backed & Variegated F-w needs experience.
The colour variations are very subtle and I would be doubtful if any Field Guide could accurately reproduce them exactly.
 
Sonia Tidemann wrote a paper pertaining to Superb, Variegated and White-winged F-w
Tidemann, Sonia C.  (1990). 

Factors affecting territory establishment, size, and use by three co-existing species of fairy-wrens (Malurus). 

EMU 90: 7-14.

 

Regards

Bob Forsyth, Mount Isa, NW Qld.

 
 An associated question is whether any two of the above species actually associate very closely in the field - that is, moving closely together in the same group at the same time. 
 
This would explain some "inconsistencies" I have seen.  I have seen two species in groups just a few metres, say 10 - 20, apart.

 Bob Cook, Mildura, NW Victoria
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