100px|Bird, Variegated Fairy-wren, Malurus lamberti
The Variegated Fairywren is a fairywren that lives in diverse
habitats spread across most of Australia. Four subspecies are
recognised. Exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism, the brightly
coloured breeding male has chestnut shoulders and blue crown and ear
coverts, while non-breeding males, females and juveniles have
predominantly grey-brown plumage. Notably, females of the two
subspecies rogersi and dulcis have mainly blue-grey plumage. Like other
fairywrens, the Variegated Fairywren is a cooperative breeding species,
with small groups of birds maintaining and defending small territories
year-round. Groups consist of a socially monogamous pair with several
helper birds who assist in raising the young. Male wrens pluck yellow
petals and display them to females as part of a courtship display.
These birds are primarily insectivorous and forage and live in the
shelter of scrubby vegetation across 90% of continental Australia,
which is a wider range than that of any other fairywren. (more...)
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variegated_Fairywren>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown, widely considered to be
the first American novel, was published.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Sympathy>
1931:
Sir Isaac Isaacs became the first Australian-born Governor-General of
Australia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Isaacs>
1941:
Sparked by the murder of a German officer in Bucharest, Romania, the
day before, members of the Iron Guard engaged in a rebellion and
pogrom, killing 125 Jews.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionnaires%27_rebellion_and_Bucharest_pogrom>
1968:
Vietnam War: The Vietnam People's Army attacked Khe Sanh Combat Base, a
U.S. Marines outpost in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, starting the
Battle of Khe Sanh.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khe_Sanh>
2008:
The Eyak language in Alaska became extinct after Marie Smith Jones, the
language's last native speaker, died, an event that became a symbol in
the fight against language extinction.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyak_language>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
bacchanal (adj):
1. Relating to Bacchus or his festival.
2. Engaged in drunken revels; drunken and riotous or noisy
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bacchanal>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The gods of the valley are not the gods of the hills, and you shall
understand it.
--Ethan Allen
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ethan_Allen>