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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

demure (adj): Quiet, modest, reserved, or serious http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/demure

___________________________ 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