Malurus assimilis (Purple-backed Fairywren)

Purple-backed Fairywren

Malurus assimilis North, AJ 1901

The purple-backed fairywren is a fairywren that is native to Australia. Described by Alfred John North in 1901, it has four recognised subspecies. In a species that exhibits sexual dimorphism, the brightly coloured breeding male has chestnut shoulders and azure crown and ear coverts, while non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage, although females of two subspecies have mainly blue-grey plumage. Distributed over much of the Australian continent, the purple-backed fairywren is found in scrubland with plenty of vegetation providing dense cover. Source: Wikipedia

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Classification

Order:
  Passeriformes
Family:
  Maluridae
Genus:
   Malurus
Scientific:
  Malurus assimilis

Original description

Citation:
North, AJ 1901

Reference:
Victorian Nat. 18 p.29

Protonym:
Malurus assimilis

Type locality:
Mossgiel, interior of New South Wales.

Link:
https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9727316

Avibase identifiers

Avibase ID:
549957F44E89DF6D

Avibase ID:
avibase-549957F4

Short link:
https://avibase.ca/549957F4

Taxonomic Serial Number:
TSN: 713636

Geographic range:

Malurus assimilis: Australia (except southwestern, northeastern, southeastern, and Tasmania)
Malurus assimilis assimilis: interior of Australia, extending to coasts in western Western Australia
Malurus assimilis bernieri: western Australia (Bernier Island, Western Australia)
Malurus assimilis rogersi: northern Australia (Kimberley region in northeastern Western Australia)
Malurus assimilis dulcis: northern Australia (central Arnhem Land in northern Northern Territory)
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Source: Clements checklist

English:
Purple-backed Fairywren
Danish:
Purpurrygget Alfesmutte
German:
Purpurrücken-Staffelschwanz
Spanish:
Maluro Dorsimorado
Spanish (Spain):
Maluro dorsimorado
French:
Mérion violacé
Japanese:
ムナグロオーストラリアムシクイ
Dutch:
Roestschouderelfje
Norwegian Nynorsk:
Svartbrystalvesmett
Norwegian:
Purpurhodealvesmett
Polish:
chwostka pyszna
Portuguese:
fadinha-violácea
Portuguese (Portugal):
fadinha-de-dorso-púrpura
Russian:
Красноспинный малюр
Slovak:
zamatovec fialový
Serbian:
Vilinski carić ljubičastih leđa
Swedish:
purpurryggig blåsmyg
Ukrainian:
малюр австралійський
Chinese:
紫背细尾鹩莺

Authorities recognizing this taxonomic concept:

Avibase taxonomic concepts (current): Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2023 (May 2023): Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2024 (Oct 2024): Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 06 (Feb 2018): Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 07 (Feb 2020): Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 08 (Feb 2021): Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v4 (Dec 2019): Purple-backed Fairy-wren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v5 (Dec 2020): Purple-backed Fairy-wren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6 (Dec 2021): Purple-backed Fairy-wren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6b (Jul 2022): Purple-backed Fairy-wren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v7 (Dec 2022): Purple-backed Fairy-wren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v8 (Dec 2023): Purple-backed Fairy-wren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v9 (Oct 2024): Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Clements, version 2021: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Clements, version 2022: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Clements, version 2023: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Clements, version 2024: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Clements, version 2018: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
Clements, version 2019: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
eBird version 2018: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
eBird version 2019: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
eBird version 2021: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
eBird version 2022: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
eBird version 2023: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
eBird version 2024: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 8.1: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 8.2: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 9.1: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 9.2: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 10.1: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 10.2: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 11.1: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 11.2: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 12.1: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 12.2: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 13.1: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 13.2: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 14.1: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]
IOC World Bird Names, version 14.2: Purple-backed Fairywren ( Malurus assimilis) [version 1]

Taxonomic status:

Species status: full species (sometimes a subspecies)

This taxon is considered a subspecies of Malurus [lamberti or assimilis] (sensu lato) by some authors

Your sightings

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Related taxa

Alternative arrangements: 1 2

Highlight taxa in a checklist (shown in red)

Other synonyms