Malurus cyanocephalus Quoy & Gaimard, 1830

The largest fairy- wren. Male nominate race (all seasons) has crown light metallic royal blue, forehead, lores and side of head to narrow collar black (no contrastingly coloured ear- tufts); upper black, scapulars and uppertail- coverts deep turquoise- blue, lower back blue- black; upperwing and tail blackish with blue tinges, throat and underparts deep navy- blue; iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark grey- brown. Female has head much as male, upperparts chestnut, tail black with broad white tips, throat deep blue, underparts white; eyes and bill as male, legs mid- brown. Immature is basically like female, but with head dusky black, upperparts rusty- brown, entire undersurface white; young male passes through a female- like plumage before attaining full adult plumage. Races differ only in depth of coloration; mysorensis is like nominate but has crown light cobalt- blue, female with darker blue crown; bonapartii is somewhat darker than others.