Malurus
Malurus is a genus of passerine birds in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae.
Taxonomy
The genus Malurus was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot to accommodate a single species, Motacilla cyanea Latham, the superb fairywren. This is the type species. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek μαλος/malos meaning "soft" or "delicate" with ουρα/oura meaning "tail".Species
The genus contains 12 species:| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
| Malurus cyanocephalus | Emperor fairywren | New Guinea | |
| Malurus amabilis | Lovely fairywren | North-eastern Australia | |
| Malurus assimilis | Purple-backed fairywren | Central and Western Australia | |
| Malurus lamberti | Variegated fairywren | Eastern Australia | |
| Malurus pulcherrimus | Blue-breasted fairywren | Southern Western Australia and the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia | |
| Malurus elegans | Red-winged fairywren | South-western corner of Western Australia | |
| Malurus cyaneus | Superb fairywren | Australia and lowland New Guinea | |
| Malurus splendens | Splendid fairywren | Central and Western Australia | |
| Malurus coronatus | Purple-crowned fairywren | Northern Australia | |
| Malurus alboscapulatus | White-shouldered fairywren | New Guinea | |
| Malurus melanocephalus | Red-backed fairywren | Australia | |
| Malurus leucopterus | White-winged fairywren | Central Queensland and South Australia across to Western Australia |