Splendid Fairy-wren

'''Habitat:''' Australia; found across much of the Australian continent from central-western New South Wales and southwestern Queensland over to coastal Western Australia. It inhabits typically dry and shrubby areas; mulga and mallee in drier parts of the country and forested areas in the southwest. The western subspecies splendens and eastern Black-backed Fairywren (subspecies melanotus) are largely sedentary, although the Turquoise Fairywren (subspecies musgravei) is thought to be partially nomadic. Forestry plantations of pine (Pinus spp.) and eucalypts are also unsuitable as they lack undergrowth.

'''Habitat:''' Australia; found across much of the Australian continent from central-western New South Wales and southwestern Queensland over to coastal Western Australia. It inhabits typically dry and shrubby areas; mulga and mallee in drier parts of the country and forested areas in the southwest. The western subspecies splendens and eastern Black-backed Fairywren (subspecies melanotus) are largely sedentary, although the Turquoise Fairywren (subspecies musgravei) is thought to be partially nomadic. Forestry plantations of pine (Pinus spp.) and eucalypts are also unsuitable as they lack undergrowth.

'''Diet:''' Insects (mostly arthropods such as ants, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders and bugs) and supplements with seeds

'''Diet:''' Insects (mostly arthropods such as ants, grasshoppers, crickets, spiders and bugs) and supplements with seeds

Major nest predators include Australian Magpies, butcherbirds, Laughing Kookaburra currawongs, crows and ravens, shrike-thrushes as well as introduced mammals such as the Red Fox, domestic cats and the Black Rat. Like other species of fairy wrens, Splendid Fairywrens may use a 'Rodent-run' display to distract predators from nests with young birds. While doing this, the head, neck and tail of the bird are lowered, the wings are held out and the feathers are fluffed as the bird runs rapidly and voices a continuous alarm call.

Major nest predators include Australian Magpies, butcherbirds, Laughing Kookaburra currawongs, crows and ravens, shrike-thrushes as well as introduced mammals such as the Red Fox, domestic cats and the Black Rat. Like other species of fairy wrens, Splendid Fairywrens may use a 'Rodent-run' display to distract predators from nests with young birds. While doing this, the head, neck and tail of the bird are lowered, the wings are held out and the feathers are fluffed as the bird runs rapidly and voices a continuous alarm call.