| Malurus | |
|---|---|
|   | |
| Male superb fairywren | |
| Scientific classification   | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Chordata | 
| Class: | Aves | 
| Order: | Passeriformes | 
| Family: | Maluridae | 
| Genus: | Malurus Vieillot, 1816 | 
| Type species | |
| Motacilla cyanea  [1] Ellis, 1782 | |
| Synonyms | |
| 
 | |
Malurus is a genus of passerine birds in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae.
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. [2] [3] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek μαλος/malos meaning "soft" or "delicate" with ουρα/oura meaning "tail". [4]
The genus contains 12 species: [5]
| 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 | 
Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus Malurus including: