Superb Fairy-wren

Superb Fairy-wren (Image ID 51097)
Photographed byMichael Hamel-Green on Mon 4th Apr, 2022 and uploaded on Fri 8th Apr, 2022 .
Resolution1800x1256
Viewed292
ID51097
CommentA very rotund male Superb Fairy Wren. He is sporting his non-breeding winter jacket, similar in colour to the light brown upperparts and white lower parts favoured by females, but with a dark eye ring and bill and dark blue tail compared to a female’s reddish eye ring and bill and very dull blue tail. The vestiges of his spring-summer breeding plumage may still be seen around his eye and above his bill. So why does he feel this seasonal need to change his outfit? In the spring-summer breeding season he needs his striking pale and dark blue outfit for successful courting but for the rest of the year such flamboyance is a curse rather than a blessing, making him more vulnerable to predator attack. Here at Western Lagoon predator patrols are no laughing matter for a plump little wren. Just a few minutes before I saw the wren, a Black-shouldered Kite was noticed in the vicinity, hovering like a drone over the grassland and no doubt undertaking laser-sharp scans for suitable prey. The light brown uppers of Super Fairy Wrens blend very well with the browns of the surrounding grasslands, so hopefully they will not be noticed easily from above, and here, at least, there are numerous rabbits around that are probably more enticing for neighbourhood raptors.
EquipmentNikon Z7, Nikon 500mm PF f5.6 TC1.4
700mm
ISO 1250
1/1600th f10
LocationWestern Lagoon, Western Treatment Plant , Werribee, Victoria
Keywordsmale, adult, non-breeding plumage/colours
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