The Western Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens splendens) is a subspecies of the Splendid Fairywren found across the semi-arid inland midwest and the forested southwest of Western Australia.(*1)
There are 4 subspecies recognized (*2) with much geographic variation in males' breeding plumage. (*3)
M.s.splendens is the darkest, with bright violet hue to dorsum, bib and belly(*1)
Male in breeding plumage:
*1 Phenotypic separation of three divergent
taxa within the Splendid Fairywren Malurus splendens
*2 Clements v2022 - Malurus splendens splendens (Quoy and Gaimard, 1832)
*3 ABG Fairywrens pg 362
Twenty-eight × Port Lincoln Parrot
“The south-western forest form, semitorquatus, with its all-green
belly and prominent red frons, intergrades sharply with the smaller,
inland and arid-country form zonarius, with its broad yellow-
breast-band and vestigial red frons, on the eastern margins of the
sclerophyll forest of jarrah-marr-kam (Fisher 1970; Serverty &
Whittell 1976; Forshaw 1981). Following widespread land clear-
ing, zonarius genes have now introgressed semitorquatus on the
Swan coastal plain (Fisher 1970).”
“Hybrid Zones in Australian Birds
Julian Ford
Julian Ford (1987) Hybrid Zones in Australian Birds, Emu - Austral Ornithology,
87:3, 158-178, DOI: 10.1071/MU9870158”
Range of Australian Ringneck Subspecies:
Example in intergrade zone (Bibra Lake, Perth):
eBird taxonomy update 2022- intergrades
