malurid

English

Malurus cyaneus (superb fairywren)

Noun

malurid (plural malurids)

1. (zoology) Any bird of the family Maluridae, insectivorous passerine birds endemic to Australia and New Guinea.
   • 1990, I. Rowley, E. Russell, 1: Splendid Fairy-wrens: demonstrating the importance of longevity, Peter B. Stacey, Walter D. Koenig (editors), Cooperative Breeding in Birds: Long Term Studies of Ecology and Behaviour, page 3,

     Only a few of the 26 malurids have been studied sufficiently closely to reveal their social organization.

   • 1991, Queensland Naturalists' Club, Queensland Naturalist, Volumes 31-35, page 56,

     A number of typical riparian, reed-dwelling, woodland and tall open forest species that forage in the shrub and ground layers were possibly reduced in abundance and absent (e.g. muscicapids, cuculids, malurids, acanthizids, sylviids).

   • 2001, Penny Olsen, Feather and Brush: Three Centuries of Australian Bird Art, page 98,

     Fairywrens and Grasswrens, an account of the malurids by well-known ornithologists Ian Rowley and Eleanor Russell, is more than a field guide, but illustrated in guide style, three species to a plate, by Marsack.

Synonyms

• (any species of family Maluridae): malurid wren

Hyponyms

• (bird of family Maluridae): emu-wren, fairywren, grasswren