The Splendid Fairywren is a passerine bird of the Maluridae family. It
is found across much of the Australian continent from central-western
New South Wales and southwestern Queensland over to coastal Western
Australia. It inhabits predominantly arid and semi-arid regions.
Exhibiting a high degree of sexual dimorphism, the male in breeding
plumage is a small, long-tailed bird of bright blue and black
colouration. Non-breeding males, females and juveniles are grey-brown
in colour; this gave the early impression that males were polygamous as
all dull-coloured birds were taken for females. It comprises several
similar all-blue and black subspecies that were originally considered
separate species. Like other fairywrens, the Splendid Fairywren is
notable for several peculiar behavioural characteristics; birds are
socially monogamous and sexually promiscuous, meaning that although
they form pairs between one male and one female, each partner will mate
with other individuals and even assist in raising the young from such
pairings. Male wrens pluck pink or purple petals and display them to
females as part of a courtship display.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splendid_Fairywren>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1848:
The Palermo rising in Sicily commenced against the Bourbon kingdom of
the Two Sicilies.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilian_revolution_of_independence_of_1848>
1872:
Yohannes IV was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first
imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yohannes_IV_of_Ethiopia>
1895:
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, a
conservation organization in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, was
founded.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Trust_for_Places_of_Historic_Interest_or_Natural_Beauty>
1911:
The University of the Philippines College of Law was founded,
eventually graduating many of the leading Filipino political figures
since then.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Philippines_College_of_Law>
1964:
Rebels led by John Okello overthrew Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah, ending
200 years of Arab dominance in Zanzibar.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zanzibar_Revolution>
1967:
Seventy-three-year-old psychology professor James Bedford became the
first person to be cryonically frozen with intent of future
resuscitation.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryonics>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
demure (adj):
Quiet, modest, reserved, or serious
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demure>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
We must all obey the great law of change. It is the most powerful law
of nature, and the means perhaps of its conservation.
--Edmund Burke
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke>
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