NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Purple-crowned Fairywren
Malurus coronatus Gould, 1858
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The purple-crowned fairywren (Malurus coronatus) is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is the largest of the twelve species in the genus Malurus and is endemic to northern Australia. The species name is derived from the Latin word cǒrōna meaning "crown", owing to the distinctive purple circle of crown feathers sported by breeding males. Genetic evidence shows that the purple-crowned fairywren is most closely related to the superb fairywren and splendid fairywren. Purple-crowned fairywrens can be distinguished from other fairywrens in northern Australia by the presence of cheek patches (either black in males or reddish-chocolate in females) and the deep blue colour of their perky tails. Like other fairywrens, the purple-crowned fairywren is socially monogamous. However, unlike other species in the genus, it is not sexually promiscuous and shows low rates of extra-pair paternity. However, females with related males as partners will mate with other individuals. This is thought to be an adaptation to avoid inbreeding depression.
Wikipedia contributors, Purple-crowned fairywren; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:00:40.197715+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Malurus coronatus Gould, 1858
- Name authority
- Gould, 1858
- Common name
- Purple-crowned Fairywren
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Maluridae
- Genus
- Malurus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyMaluridae
- genusMalurus Vieillot, 1816
- speciesMalurus coronatus Gould, 1858
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Malurus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Superb FairywrenMalurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) | MaluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Blue-breasted FairywrenMalurus pulcherrimus Gould, 1844 | MaluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-winged FairywrenMalurus elegans Gould, 1837 | MaluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Variegated FairywrenMalurus lamberti Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 | MaluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-winged FairywrenMalurus leucopterus Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 | MaluridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Gould, & John. (1858). On Several New Species of Birds from Various Parts of the World. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, Vol. 25, No. 340. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6QT8Z. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.