Purple-backed Fairywren

The Purple-backed Fairywren is closely related to, and until relatively recently classified together with, the Variegated Fairywren, from which it differs mainly in occupying the arid interior of Australia rather than wetter coastal and subcoastal country. Breeding males show a rich purplish-blue crown and ear coverts, a black mask, throat, and breast band, and a comparatively small chestnut patch on the shoulder, with an overall violet-blue cast to the plumage that is subtly different from the bluer tones of the Variegated Fairywren.

Females and non-breeding males are plain sandy brown, well camouflaged against the arid scrub and spinifex they inhabit, with the typical fairywren pale rust-colored eye-ring and bill.

Key field marks

• Breeding male: purplish-blue crown and ear coverts, black mask/throat/breast band, small chestnut shoulder patch
• Female: plain sandy brown with a pale rust eye-ring and bill
• Found in arid interior scrub rather than coastal habitats
• Overall plumage tone slightly more violet than the closely related Variegated Fairywren

Similar species

• Variegated Fairywren: very similar, but occupies wetter coastal and subcoastal habitats, with a larger chestnut patch and bluer (less purple) crown; the two are largely separated by range and habitat.
• Splendid Fairywren: breeding male lacks any chestnut shoulder patch and is far more extensively blue overall.

Habitat

Purple-backed Fairywrens inhabit arid and semi-arid mulga woodland, spinifex grassland, and dry scrub across the Australian interior, needing dense low cover for shelter despite the sparse surrounding vegetation.

Range

The species occupies much of arid and semi-arid inland Australia, including large parts of the Northern Territory, inland Queensland, western New South Wales, and inland Western Australia and South Australia, generally inland of the Variegated Fairywren's coastal range.

Migration

Sedentary, with family groups holding territories year-round, though drought can force local movements in search of cover and food.

Behavior

Like other fairywrens, Purple-backed Fairywrens live in small cooperative family groups, foraging low among scrub and spinifex and moving quickly between patches of cover to avoid predators in open arid country.

Voice

The song is a fast, high-pitched reeling trill similar to other fairywrens, with soft buzzy contact calls used to maintain group cohesion.

Feeding

Diet is dominated by small insects and spiders gleaned from low vegetation and the ground, with occasional small seeds, particularly important during dry periods.

Nesting and breeding

Nests are small domed structures built low in mulga shrubs or spinifex hummocks, made from grass and spider web. Clutches typically contain three to four pale eggs, incubated by the female, with helper birds from the family group assisting in feeding chicks.