The Ecology and Breeding Biology of the Red-winged Fairy-wren Malurus elegans

Summary

Rowley, I., Russell, E., Brown, R. & Brown, M. (1988). The ecology and breeding Biol.ogy of the Red-winged Fairy-wren Malurus elegans. Emu 88, 161–176.

In 33.5 ha of Karri forest in Smith's Brook Reserve, 841 individually colour-banded Malurus elegans, a Western Australian endemic, were studied from 1980–1986 in 24–30 territorial groups. This species is multi-brooded but less so than other Malurus due to their short breeding season; 90% of eggs were laid in October and November. Most nests (85%) were within 300 mm of the ground and more than half in accumulated litter on the forest floor, nest sites liable to be lost following fuel-reduction burning. Clutches of two and three were equally common (mean = 2.43 eggs); fertility was 94%; incubation lasted 14–15 days; nestlings hatched synchronously and fledged 11–12 days later, juveniles were independent of adult provisioning when one month old. Parasitism by cuckoos was rare and predation variable between years. Of eggs laid, 79% hatched and 52% produced fledglings. Repeat nesting was rapid and groups produced an average of 2.5 fledglings and 1.9 independent young per year. M. elegans are co-operative breeders; 82% of groups had helpers, the mean size being four adults. Both adult and juvenile survival were high and the limited forest habitat was fully occupied.