Purple-crowned Fairy

Its breeding habitat is forest canopy and edges at altitudes up to 1675m, and this bird can also be found in tall second growth and shady gardens . The female lays two white eggs in a small conical cup nest, which is made of plant down and sited near the tip of a thin branch.

The Purple-crowned Fairy is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The purple-crowned fairy wren is one such bird. It's small and spectacular but listed as vulnerable to extinction. New research is underway to map where the bird lives, and your help is needed. Anja Skroblin is a zoology and botany student at the Australian National University in Canberra and she's doing her PhD on the distribution and conservation of the wren. More

The Purple-crowned Fairy (Heliothryx barroti) is a large hummingbird that breeds in the lowlands and hills from southeastern Mexico south to southwestern Ecuador. Its breeding habitat is forest canopy and edges at altitudes up to 1675m, and this bird can also be found in tall second growth and shady gardens . The female lays two white eggs in a small conical cup nest, which is made of plant down and sited near the tip of a thin branch. The Purple-crowned Fairy is 11. More

The Purple-crowned Fairywren (Malurus coronatus) is a species of bird in the Maluridae family. It is endemic to northern Australia; two subspecies are recognized. References - * BirdLife International 2004. Malurus coronatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 26 July 2007. More

I spotted this female Purple-crowned Fairy in Costa Rica visiting a flowering bean vine. Photographing her was a real challenge as she "danced" around the vine. Purple-crowned Fairies are iridescent green above and white below with a black bill and eye mask. Only the males have a small, iridescent purple crown. Both sexes have a long, white-edged tail, but the females like this one have longer tails. More

The Purple-crowned Fairy has a very light and graceful flight. It eats insects, picked off the foliage or caught in flight, and takes nectar from flowers, piercing the bases of larger blooms such as Heliconia. Although not particularly territorial, this species is quite aggressive, and will resist the attacks of territorial species. References - bullet BirdLife International (2004). Heliothryx barroti. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. More

Purple-crowned Fairy-wren and search for the best ways to secure its survival is finally reaching its conclusion. The outcomes of this research are far reaching as they will guide our on-ground strategy for conserving this enigmatic little bird and securing its survival for future generations of Australians. In the meantime, we thought you would enjoy an update on some of the important findings arising from this project so far. More

Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens build their homes in the thick vegetation that lines the freshwater rivers and creeks (the ‘riparian strip’) of northern Australia. They seem to prefer streams that have a wider strip of vegetation and rarely venture more than 10 m from the creekside vegetation. They are most often associated with tall river grass and canegrass (Cionachne sp. and Mnesithea rottboellioides) and Pandanus stands with high stem density. More

A female purple-crowned fairy wren, banded for a study by researcher AnnaMarie van Doorn. The Purple-crowned Fairy-wren is territorial, chooses a single mate and lives in pairs or small groups (often holding the same territory for consecutive years). However, towards the end of the breeding season larger groups may be encountered when the juveniles of the year are still with the parents. More

Purple-crowned Fairy-wren habitat In the Victoria River District the wren occupies river grass (Chionachne cyathopoda) sometimes in conjunction with northern cane grass (Mnesithea rottboelioides). River grass forms dense stands along the Victoria River and its tributaries and is often referred to as cane grass, however this term has been used for a multitude of riverine grasses causing some confusion in the past. More

The elegant Purple-crowned Fairy is a very rare vagrant from the lowlands. The color scheme of green upperparts and pure white underparts is unique. Male White-necked Jacobins are also extensively white below, but the white is restricted to the belly, with the breast and throat being blue. More