Category Archives: Uncategorized

One of our individually marked Superb Fairy-wrens was spotted along the Merri Creek, in the Strettle Wetland! This is the first longer distance movement we have recorded, a great milestone for the Superb City Wrens project.

The female bird, “Light-green over dark-green” was photographed collecting nesting material in Strettle Wetland, with an unmarked male. This bird was originally banded in Royal Park in February 2022. Thanks to one of our lovely citizen scientists for sharing their sighting on our BioCollect project!

It’s thrilling to know our birds are travelling through the city, but more data is vital for us to properly understand how these animals are getting around and using habitat patches or corridors.

Now we need your help!

• If you spend time along or near the Merri Creek we would love to hear if you have incidental sightings of ANY Superb Fairy-wrens, but especially if you happen spot a our banded bird.
• If you have a few minutes to spare, pick a spot for a 15-minute ‘Wren Watch’. Recording negative sightings during a short survey is just as important as seeing a banded bird.
• Wren Watches in the following areas would be really useful:
  • All reserves along the Inner Circle Rail Trail
  • Green Reserve & Phillips Reserve along the Merri Creek
  • Any shrub patches in Fleming Park, Balfe Park and Methven Park

Please report any Fairy-wren sightings or Wren Watch results on our BioCollect page by following the instructions here.

Thank you for helping us understand Melbourne’s amazing birds!

December 7th Wren Report

It’s been wet out there this last month, and it looks like rain has interrupted wren-watching! That’s OK – hopefully sunny weather is here and you can get out for some summer Wren Watches!

To date, 390 Wren Watches have been submitted through our BioCollect project, which included 51 sightings of Superb Fairy-wrens.

8 Superb Fairy-wrens were counted in Parkville in the last month, a bit of a sorry number when compared to the 36 Noisy Miners that were counted during the same surveys. Shout-out to Kate George who submitted three surveys with no bird sightings at all – it’s really important for us to get records of places where no birds are seen. Thanks Kate!

Our most exciting sighting this month has been of 2 unbanded Superb Fairy-wrens which were spotted by David Stanton in Iever’s Reserve (site 47). No Fairy-wrens had been spotted at this location yet, so it’s definitely one to keep an eye on!

During November our only sightings of banded birds were submitted through iNaturalist, by excellent bird photographer Peter Petinatos. Pete spotted the female Light Green over Gold collecting feathers – a sure sign she was nesting!

Thank you to our November Wren Watchers. Let’s get out there and find some more banded birds!

Become a Wren Watcher!

November 2nd Wren Report

Welcome to our very first Wren Report! It’s a short update on our Superb City Wrens, who’s been seen and how we are tracking with our surveys!

To date, 380 Wren Watches have been submitted through our BioCollect project, which included 49 sightings of Superb Fairy-wrens.

During 27 of those surveys our citizen scientists have recorded a banded bird!

The latest Superb City Wren sighting was of Light Green over Silver, who seems to enjoying spending time in Survey Area 01, in the White’s Skink Habitat, Royal Park. Light Green over Silver is a male bird who has been spotted twice since December 2021, both times in a similar place.

Perhaps Light Green over Silver should be first in line for one of our new names?

Thanks for all your wonderful efforts so far, Wren Watchers. Let’s get out there an find spot some more! Become a Wren Watcher!