Imagine a garden full of birds native to your local area such as the Superb Fairywren. The Superb Fairywren feeds mainly on insects and spiders with grasshoppers being a particular favourite. It also supplements its diet with seeds, flowers and fruit. Being a smaller bird it needs a dense understory to hide and nest in. Lawns, leaf litter and mulch are perfect to search for insects but then it needs cover close by.
The Surperb Fariywren is found throughout south-eastern Australia but some councils are noticing a decline in their numbers. This is because the Superb Fairywren likes to forage and nest near the ground making them vulnerable to attacks from cats and carnivorous birds such as the Pied Currawong. To provide protection these birds need planting in the canopy, understory and ground level, with the foliage ideally reaching down to the ground.
The following is a list of native trees and plants which are known to provide good habitat for the Superb Fairywren.
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Height(m) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Paperbarks |
|||
| Bracelet Honeymyrtle | Melaleuca armillaris | 5 | |
| Paperbark | Melelauca decora | 7 | |
| Swamp Paperbark | Melaleuca ericifolia | 8 | |
| Flax-leaved Paperbark | Melaleuca linariifolia | 8 | |
| Prickly-leaved Paperbark | Melaleuca nodosa | 6 | |
| Prickly-leafed Tea Tree | Melaleuca styphelioides | 10 | |
Tea-trees |
|||
| Pink Tea Tree | Leptospermum squarrosum | 3 | |
| Lemon-scented Tea tree | Leptospermum polygalifolium | 3 | |
| Paperbark/Slender Tea-tree | Leptospermum trinervium | 4 | |
Wattles |
|||
| Coast Myall | Acacia binervia | 4 | |
| Sickle Wattle | Acacia falcata | 3 | |
| Fringed Wattle | Acacia fimbriata | 3 | |
| White Sally Wattle | Acacia floribunda | 4 | |
| Hickory Wattle | Acacia implexa | 8 | |
| White Wattle | Acacia linifolia | 3 | |
| Sydney Golden Wattle | Acacia longifolia | 4 | |
| Parramatta Black Wattle | Acacia parramattensis | 5 | |
| Sunshine Wattle | Acacia terminalis | 2 | |
| Prickly Moses | Acacia ulicifolia | 2 | |
Hakeas |
|||
| Finger Hakea | Hakea dactyloides | 2 | |
| Williow-leafed Hakea | Hakea salicifolia | 5 | |
| Needlebush | Hakea sericea | 3 | |
Grevilleas |
|||
| Grey Spider Flower | Grevillea buxifolia | 1.5 | |
| White Spider Flower | Grevillea linearifolia | 2 | |
| Green Spider Flower | Grevillea mucronulata | 1.5 | |
| Pink Spider Flower | Grevillea sericea | 1.5 | |
| Red Spider Flower | Grevillea speciosa | 1.5 | |
Daisy Bushes |
|||
| Common Daisy Bush | Cassinia aculeata | 1.5 | |
| Yellow Daisy Bush | Cassinia aureonitens | 2 | |
| Bridal Daisy Bush | Olearia microphylla | 1.5 | |
| Viscid Daisy Bush | Olearia viscidula | 2 | |
| Sago Bush | Ozothamnus diosmifolium | 2 | |
Peas |
|||
| Clustered Bitter Pea | Daviesia corymbosa | 1 | |
| Eggs and Bacon | Eutaxia myrtifolia | 1 | |
| Gorse Bitter Pea | Daviesia ulicifolia | 0.5 | |
| Prickly Shaggy Pea | Podolobium ilicifolium | 2 | |
| Bush Pea | Pultenaea stipularis | 2 | |
| Bronze Bush Pea | Pultenaea villosa | 1 | |
| Bush Pea | Pultenaea daphnoides | 2 | |
| Blunt Bush Pea | Pultenaea retusa | 1 | |
| Halo Bush Pea | Pultenaea linophylla | 1 | |
Heaths |
|||
| Fuchsia Heath | Epacris longiflora | 1 | |
| NSW Coral Heath | Epacris pulchella | 1 | |
| Port Jackson Heath | Epacris purpurescens | 1 | |
| Pink Beard Heath | Leucopogon ericioides | 1 | |
| Prickly Beard Heath | Leucopogon juniperinus | 1 | |
| Peach Heath | Lissanthe strigosa | 0.5 | |
| Tree Broom-Heath | Monotoca elliptica | 3 | |
| Five Corners | Styphelia laeta | 1 | |
| Red Five Corners | Styphelia tubiflora | 1 | |
Other Shrubs and Small Trees |
|||
| Weeping Baeckea | Baeckea linifolia | 1.5 | |
| Australian Blackthorn | Bursaria spinosa | 4 | |
| Port Jackson Pine | Callitris rhomboidea | 3 | |
| NSW Christmas Bush | Ceratopetalum gummiferum | 4 | |
| Hairy Clerodendrum | Clerodendrum tomentosum | 4 | |
| Common Correa | Correa reflexa | 1 | |
| Hop Goodenia | Goodenia ovata | 1 | |
| Tick Bush | Kunzea ambigua | 3 | |
| Crinkle Bush | Lomatia silatifolia | 1 | |
| Slender Rice Flower | Pimelia linifolia | 1 | |
| Rusty Pomaderris | Pomaderris feruginea | 2 | |
| Sieber’s Pomaderris | Pomaderris sieberiana | 2 | |
| Hoary Mint Bush | Prostanthera incana | 1 | |
| Sandfly Zieria | Zieria smithii | 2 | |
Climbers, Scramblers & Twiners |
|||
| Old Man’s Beard | Clematis aristata | ||
| Old Man’s Beard | Clematis glycinoides | ||
| Wombat Berry | Eustrephus latifolius | ||
| False Sarsparilla | Hardenbergia violacea | ||
| Guinea Flower | Hibbertia dentata | ||
| Snake Vine | Hibbertia scandens | ||
| Dusky Coral Pea | Kennedia rubicunda | ||
| Wonga Wonga Vine | Pandorea pandorana | ||
| Handsome Flat Pea | Platylobioum formosum | ||
Grasses, Sedges, Reeds & Rushes |
|||
| a Sedge | Carex inversa | 0.5 | |
| a Sedge | Gahnia sieberiana | 2 | |
| Sea Rush | Juncus krausii | 1.5 | |
| a Rush | Juncus continuus | 1 | |
| Tussock Grass | Poa affinis | 1 | |
| Common Reed | Phragmites australis | 4 | |
| Common Bog-rush | Schoenus apogon | 0.25 | |
| a Bog-rush | Schoenus brevifolius | 0.75 | |
| a Bog-rush | Schoenus melanstachys | 1 | |
| a Bulrus | Typha orientalish | 2 | |