---
title: "Superb Fairywren"
description: "Malurus cyaneus — Birds. The superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/superb-fairywren
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Superb Fairywren

> Malurus cyaneus — Birds. The superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia.

- Scientific name: *Malurus cyaneus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest), `urban` (Towns & gardens)
- iNaturalist observations: 43938
- Wikidata: [Q420813](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q420813)
- iNaturalist taxon: [12065](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/12065)

## Names

- en: Superb Fairywren
- de: Prachtstaffelschwanz
- es: Maluro soberbio
- fr: Mérion superbe
- nl: Ornaatelfje
- pl: Chwostka szafirowa

## Countries with the most observations

AU (42377)

## Summary

The superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) is a passerine bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae, and is common and familiar across south-eastern Australia. It is a sedentary and territorial species, also exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism; the male in breeding plumage has a striking bright blue forehead, ear coverts, mantle, and tail, with a black mask and black or dark blue throat. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles are predominantly grey-brown in colour; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous, as all dull-coloured birds were taken for females. Six subspecies groups are…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superb_fairywren

## Photo

![Superb Fairywren](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/superb-fairywren/medium.jpg)

Photo: John Cull · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/136777036

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/superb-fairywren?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).