Orange-crowned fairywren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orange-crowned fairywren |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Maluridae |
| Genus: | Clytomyias Sharpe, 1879 |
| Species: |
C. insignis
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| Binomial name | |
| Clytomyias insignis Sharpe, 1879
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The orange-crowned fairywren (scientific name: Clytomyias insignis) is a small, colorful bird that belongs to the Australasian wren family, called Maluridae. It's the only species in its group, the Clytomyias genus. You can find this special bird living in the wet, misty mountain forests of New Guinea.
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About the Orange-crowned Fairywren
This bird was first discovered in the Arfak Mountains and officially described in 1879 by a scientist named Richard Bowdler Sharpe. Scientists have studied its DNA and found that it is closely related to other fairywrens in the Malurus group.
People sometimes call the orange-crowned fairywren by other names, like the orange-crowned wren or the rufous fairywren.
Different Types of Orange-crowned Fairywrens
There are two main types, or subspecies, of the orange-crowned fairywren:
- C. i. insignis: This type lives in the far northwestern part of New Guinea, in a place called the Bird's Head Peninsula.
- C. i. oorti: This type is found in the central highlands of New Guinea, stretching from western New Guinea to the Owen Stanley Range in the southeast.
What Does It Look Like?
Unlike many other fairywren species, the male and female orange-crowned fairywrens look exactly the same. They both have a bright, rusty orange head. Their thighs and tail are a reddish-brown color, which is called rufous. Their back is olive-brown, and their wings are brown.
This fairywren has a bill that is wider than other fairywrens, and it's black. Its eyes are dark brown, and its legs are a pinkish-brown color.
You can tell the two subspecies apart by their belly colors. The C. i. insignis type has a creamy-white belly, while the C.i. oorti type has a more yellowish-brown belly.
Where Do They Live?
The orange-crowned fairywren lives in the thick, dense plants found in mountain rainforests. They prefer to live at high altitudes, usually between 2,000 and 3,000 meters (about 6,500 to 9,800 feet) above sea level.
How Do They Behave?
These birds are usually seen in pairs or in small groups of about six to eight birds. Scientists don't know much about how they find partners or how they raise their young.
 | Emma Amos |
 | Edward Mitchell Bannister |
 | Larry D. Alexander |
 | Ernie Barnes |
