23/10/2026
Those little flashes of blue darting through the undergrowth are Splendid Fairy-wrens
The males put on a proper show in breeding season with that brilliant blue, but the real story is in the mating.
They’re famously unfaithful… females often mate with males from outside their own group, and a big chunk of the chicks end up fathered by someone other than the social partner. The bright blue is partly for impressing the neighbours.
The eggs themselves are tiny, only about 16–17 mm long. The female incubates them alone for around 13–15 days in a little domed nest hidden low in the shrubs.
Once the chicks hatch, it’s a family effort. Both parents feed them, and often older siblings or other group members step in as helpers too.
The babies leave the nest after roughly 10–12 days, still tiny and being looked after by the whole crew.
It’s a lot of work for something that small.
This stunning photo was provided by recent guests and photographers Lori Caddy & Peter Caddy 👏
