One of the most delightful and well-loved native birds in our gardens is the Superb Fairy-wren which many of us grew up calling Jenny Wren or Blue Wren.
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There are many different Fairy-wrens in Australia and the Superb is the only one to have adapted to suburbia.
These tiny birds grow to 14cms (including a 6cm tail) and the males have a blue cap and back with a blue-black throat and chest, whitish underparts and a dark blue tail.
The male is at his most colourful in the breeding season and for the remainder of the time may be in eclipse with variations of this colouring.
The females and young birds are mostly brown with dull orange around the eye.
Fairy-wrens can be seen in most habitat types where suitable dense cover and low shrubs occur. They are common in urban parks and gardens.
Fairy-wrens live in small social groups with one dominant male and several younger, mostly male birds from previous clutches.
Pairs of wrens are socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous with both partners mating with other individuals from nearby territories.
This has been proven to occur frequently and females in particular have been seen to be courted by up to thirteen males in half an hour.
Male wrens pluck yellow petals and show them to the female as part of the courtship ritual.
The female wren constructs the nest over several days and incubates the 3-4 eggs by herself. Several clutches may be hatched each year.
All members of the extended family group feed and protect the nestlings.
This “co-operative breeding” approach has been demonstrated to occur in up to 50 per cent of nests.
These subordinate males who are the helpers may wait years and sometimes their whole lives for breeding territories of their own.
In December 2016 the results of a ten year study conducted by the Australian National University in Canberra were released with startling results.
The study revealed that female fairy-wrens create larger eggs containing more nutrients during hot weather so that chicks are stronger when they hatch and grow faster with the extra food from the family group.
One conclusion gained from this study is that birds that use co-operative breeding may be more adaptable to climate change.
So the next time you see these tiny song birds jauntily hopping around on your lawn, take a moment to reflect on the wonder of their survival skills.
