Sipodotus wallacii

General description: 

Wallace's Fairy-wren

Other common names: Wallace’s Tree-wren/Fairy-wren/Wrenwarbler, Blue-capped Wren

Taxonomy: Todopsis wallacii G. R. Gray, 1862, Vogelkop, New Guinea. Has sometimes been placed in genus Malurus; originally included with Malurus grayi and Malurus cyanocephalus in a separate genus, Todopsis.  Two subspecies recognized.

Male nominate race has crownand nape black with light blue feather tips; black face, white incomplete eyering,  white lanceolate ear- tufts; scapulars and back rusty brown, upperwing brownishgrey, tail brownish; entire  underface white; iris red- brown; bill long, straight and broad, blunty pointed, black with white tip; legs short,  slender, flesh- brown.

Conservation status: 

Not Threatened

Diagnostic description: 

Male nominate race has crownand nape black with light blue feather tips; black face, white incomplete eyering,  white lanceolate ear- tufts; scapulars and back rusty brown, upperwing brownishgrey, tail brownish; entire  underface white; iris red- brown; bill long, straight and broad, blunty pointed, black with white tip; legs short, slender, flesh- brown. Female is similar to male, except for pale yellowish wash on throat (deepest in W of range), usually duller crown. Immature is generally duller than adult, with crown speckled buff (not blue), ear tufts and bill shorter. Race coronatus differs from nominate in having undersurface washed creamy.

Behaviour: 

VOICE: Little known; sibilant “see see see see” contack calls emited by foraging parties.

Size: 

11- 12.5 cm; 7- 8 g

Phylogeny: 

Taxonomy: Todopsis wallacii G. R. Gray, 1862, Vogelkop, New Guinea. Has sometimes been placed in genus Malurus; originally in cluded with Malurus grayi and Malurus cyanocephalus in a separate genus, Todopsis. Two subspecies recognized.

Distribution: 

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • wallacii (G. R. Gray, 1862) - Misool, Yapen, Vogelkop and N coast of New Guinea.
  • coronatus (Gould, 1878) - Aru Is and S New Guinea.
Habitat: 

Rainforest at 100- 800 m, occasionally higher, to c. 1250 m; more in trees than in undergrowth.

Trophic strategy: 

Presumed largely insectivorous. Forages mainly 2- 10 m above ground in tangles of climbers at edge of  openings in forest, particularly in tangles of vines and climbing bamboos at forest edge. Occurs in groups of 4- 8 individuals, which may be family parties. Frequently joins mixed- species flocks.

Reproduction: 

Throughout year, with peak in Sept- Dec. three known nests, two of which were attended each by three adults.  Nest domed, with hooded side entrance near top, made of fine grasses, cobwebs and strips of palm fronds, lined with finer fibres, placed 5- 10 m above ground in vines; one nest was covered on outside with bits of moss and epiphytes, and sited in shrub c. 1,5 m tall growing at top of rocky cliff face above a drop of c. 30 m. only one clutch known, of 2 eggs; one nest contained 2 chicks, fed by both adults, 38 feeding visits in 1,5 hours.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith