Purple-crowned fairywren

The purple-crowned fairy-wren is a species of bird in the Maluridae family. The purple-crowned fairy-wren is endemic to northern Australia. It is the largest of 13 species in the genus ''Malurus''; the genus is confined to Australia and Papua New Guinea. The species name is derived from the Latin word ''cǒrōna'' meaning "crown", owing to the distinctive purple circle of crown feathers sported by breeding males. Genetic evidence shows the purple-crowned fairy-wren is most closely related to the superb and splendid fairywren . Purple-crowned fairy-wrens can be distinguished from other fairy-wrens in northern Australia by the presence of cheek patches and the deep blue colour of their perky tails.