Portal:Western Australia/Selected article/May 2008

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The Red-winged Fairy-wren (Malurus elegans) is a species of passerine bird in the Maluridae family. It is sedentary and endemic to the southwestern corner of Western Australia. Exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism, the male adopts a brilliantly coloured breeding plumage, with an iridescent silvery-blue crown, ear coverts and upper back, red shoulders, contrasting with a black throat, grey-brown tail and wings and pale underparts. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, though males may bear isolated blue and black feathers. No separate subspecies are recognised. Similar in appearance and closely related to the Variegated Fairy-wren (M. lamberti) and the Blue-breasted Fairy-wren (M. pulcherrimus), it is regarded as a separate species as no intermediate forms have been recorded where ranges overlap. Though the Red-winged Fairy-wren is locally common, there is evidence of a decline in numbers.