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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. The surgeon J. R. Elsey was the first to collect the species, on A. C. Gregory's northern Australian expedition in 1855 and 1856. Two specimens were collected at Victoria River and a third at Robinson River which was not examined for over 100 years.〔Rowley and Russell, p. 155.〕 It was first described by the ornithologist John Gould in 1858. Its species name is derived from the Latin ''cǒrōna'' "crown". The nominate subspecies is found in the Kimberley region of northwestern Australia, and the subspecies ''macgillivrayi''. named by Gregory Mathews in 1913, from the lands bordering the Gulf of Carpentaria. The two subspecies are separated by around 200 km of land inhospitable to them, and has been for around 10,000 years.〔 Its distinctive plumage led Mathews to place it in a separate genus ''Rosina''. However, genetic evidence shows it is most closely related to the superb and splendid fairywren within the genus ''Malurus''. The plumage is brown overall, the wings more greyish brown. The bill and feet are black. The male in breeding plumage has a purple crown bordered by a black nape and face. On the top of the head is a black rectangular patch. It also has a cream-buff belly and blue tail tipped with white. In eclipse plumage the crown is grey and head mottled black and grey. The female differs in having a blue-tinged grey crown, chestnut ear-coverts, and greenish blue tail. Immature birds have a brown crown, although male birds start to show black feathers on the face by 6 to 9 months.〔 Three calls have been recorded: a loud reel ''cheepa-cheepa-cheepa'', a quieter ''chet'' – a contact call between birds in a group when foraging, and an alarm call – a harsh ''zit''.〔Rowley and Russell, p. 156.〕 The preferred habitat is long grass or ''Pandanus'', within 10 m (35 ft) of a river or spring.〔 ==References== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Purple-crowned fairywren」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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