Silver headed easel tail
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Silver-headed easel tail ( Malurus elegans ), males in splendid plumage |
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| Malurus elegans | ||||||||||||
| Gould , 1837 |
The silver head-wren ( Malurus elegans ) is a occurring in Australia bird art from the family of the Wrens (Maluridae). The specific epithet is based on the Latin word elegans meaning 'elegant'.
features
The silver-headed relay tail reaches a body length of 14.0 to 15.5 centimeters and a weight of 8.5 to 11.5 grams. There is a clear sexual dimorphism between the sexes in terms of plumage color . Only the males present during the courtship - a colorful plumage (and breeding season plumage ). Their heads and cheeks are iridescent silver- blue , the reins and neck are black, the chest navy blue, the shoulder feathers rust-red. The wings have a brownish color. The lower belly area is ocher-colored, the long control feathers are gray-blue and show white tips at the ends. Outside of the courtship and breeding season, the males wear a plain dress that is much less conspicuous in color; they then resemble the females, who show a gray-brown basic color all year round, with the breast and stomach area shimmering whitish. The bill is blackish in both sexes, the iris dark brown, legs and feet are gray-brown.
distribution and habitat
The silver-headed easel tail occurs exclusively on the Australian continent. Its distribution area primarily covers a region south of Perth , the capital of the state of Western Australia . The main habitat are bushy, damp coastal strips and eucalyptus forests .
Way of life
The birds feed on insects, including ants (Formicidae), beetles (Coleoptera) and spiders (Araneae). As they are lazy fliers, the food is usually searched for by hopping on the ground, with the prey animals being tracked in pairs or in groups of up to nine individuals. The relatively short breeding season falls from October to December. Silver-headed easel tails live in pairs, at times promiscuity has been noted. The nest has a closed oval shape, has a side entrance hole in the upper area, is woven from dry grass and twigs and lined with fine grass. As a rule, it is placed close to the ground in a bush and provided with two to three eggs that are hatched in 14 to 15 days. The nestling period is 11 to 12 days. The young are provided with food by the parents and the adult birds of the previous year's brood. You will stay with the family for another year.
Danger
Although the silver-headed easel tail occurs only in a comparatively small area on the southwestern tip for Australian conditions, it is widespread there, is considered stable and is therefore classified by the IUCN as a 
" least concern ". He is able to continue to colonize areas severely damaged by bushfires.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Ian Rowley & Eleanor Russell (2017). Red-winged Fairy-wren (Malurus elegans). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, DA Christie & E. de Juana (eds.): Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (viewed at http://www.hbw.com/node/59759 on May 2, 2017).
- ↑ Distribution area
- ^ IUCN Red List
- ^ Eleanor M. Russell & Ian Rowley: The effects of fire on a population of Red-winged Fairy-wrens Malurus elegans in Karri forest in south-western Australia. Pacific Conserv. Biol. No. 4, 1988, pp. 197-208.
literature
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal : Handbook of the Birds of the World, Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Volume 12, Lynx Edicions, 2007, ISBN 978-84-96553-42-2 .
Web links
- Silver-headed easel-tail (Malurus elegans) in the Encyclopedia of Life . Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- worldbirdnames - IOC World Bird List