Extant species

The following table reports the English names proposed for the twelve species recognised by the listing of the International Ornithologist Committee ^[2]

More information Image, Scientific name ...

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

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Former species

Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus Malurus including:

• Wallace's fairywren (as Malurus wallacei and Malurus wallacii)^[3]
• Broad-billed fairywren (as Malurus grayi)^[4]
• Campbell's fairywren (as Malurus campbelli)^[5]