Little Friarbird
Philemon citreogularis
Large honeyeater with a brown-feathered crown and bare, blue-gray facial skin. Gray-brown upperparts and cream underparts. Easily distinguished from other friarbirds by its smaller size, facial skin coloration, and lack of a "horn" on the bill. Juveniles have yellow coloration on throat and shoulders. Found in a wide variety of habitats but is particularly common along rivers and in suburban gardens.
Identification
The little friarbird ranges from 25–30 centimetres (9.8–11.8 in) in length. The average size tends to be 27 centimetres (11 in) with an average weight of 67 grams (2.4 oz). Although males and females tend to be very similar in appearance, males are larger.<p>The little friarbird can be easily distinguished from other friarbirds by the absence of a casque (a prominent ridge or bump present on the beak). Another key recognisable feature is the bare blue skin present under the eye which widens over the cheek. (The bare blue skin can vary from grey to black in tone.) Dark feathers are present both above and below the blue skin. The top of the head and body are a dark grey-brown with a dull white fringe present on the nape which flows around to a wide patch on the side of the neck. Fine silky white feathers are present under the chin with silvery white streaks flowing down the breast merging to pale grey for the underbody of the little friarbird.<p>The little friarbird also has a black curved bill, dark brown eyes with bluish black legs. Its flight characteristics involve wing-beats which are shallow and quivering in nature. The tail is clearly square-cut when spread with slight pale tips present on the tail feathers.<p>Juvenile little friarbirds tend to have a paler appearance with a lighter facial skin. The chin, throat and, in some cases, upper breast tend to appear as a washed yellow with yellow spots on the side of the breast. The term ‘citreogularis’ is frequently used to describe young birds which have a yellow fore-neck. The tail feathers also tend to appear with a shallower cut, unlike those of adult little friarbirds.<p>The little friarbird has a very distinct voice consisting of a repeated liquid mellow "gee-wit" or "chewip". When breeding, the song is extended and includes chattering scoldings. A common sequence may be paraphrased as "rackety-crookshank".
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Philemon citreogularis
- Authority
- (Gould, 1837)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Genus
- Philemon
Range and habitat
The little friarbird is present most predominantly in northern Australia with seasonal movements to south-east Australia. They have been witnessed from the district of Broome in Western Australia through the Kimberleys into the northern portion of the Northern Territory. They have been sighted throughout most of Queensland going as far inland as Mount Isa and Opalton. In summer, they also spread throughout the south-east of Australia inhabiting the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory.<p>The little friarbird has been sighted along the Murray River and throughout the Riverina within New South Wales. In Victoria, the little friarbird is seen in the north-central region of the state, and near prominent bodies of water, such as Hattah Lakes. Sightings occur as far as Morgan on the Murray River in South Australia. They are also present in southern Papua New Guinea and on several islands adjacent to Australia.<p>The little friarbird is found most predominantly around water bodies. They can be seen in swamp woodlands, mangroves, shrub communities, open forests and woodlands dominated by Eucalyptus tree species. They also inhabit orchards, vineyards and gardens during a good flowering season. They may also inhabit arid zones, but only where water bodies extend well into the area.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Hume's Warbler
Phylloscopus humei
Compact leaf warbler with two whitish wingbars (one broad and prominent), greenish-gray upperparts, an indistinct crown stripe, and conspicuous white tips to the innermost flight feathers. Bill and legs usually dark. Extremely similar to Yellow-browed Warbler, but grayer and “colder” overall, with less extensive orangish coloration on the lower bill. Also compare with Two-barred Warbler and Greenish Warbler, both of which lack a crown stripe and have more extensive orange on the bill. Breeds in alpine shrubbery in mountain ranges flanking the Tibetan Plateau. Winters mostly in the plains just south of the Himalayas, but also on wet hilltops farther south. Often heard but not seen, it is best told from other leaf warblers by its distinct “chew-wee” call. Song is a remarkable descending insect-like buzz. Prone to long-distance vagrancy.
White-tailed Iora
Aegithina nigrolutea
Also known as Marshall’s Iora. Very similar to Common Iora, but easily distinguished by the prominent white edges to the tail and the broad white edges to the tertials. Breeding males have with more prominent white on the flight feathers than Common Iora. The churring calls of White-tailed are subtly different than those of the Common Iora, and a trained ear can easily pick up this call even in places where the two species occur together. Unlike Common Iora, White-tailed is sparsely distributed, usually restricted to scrubby habitat with sparse acacia growth.
Two-barred Warbler
Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus
A small songbird, greenish above, white below, with black-bordered white supercilium and thin white wingbars. Larger and more contrastingly marked than Yellow-browed Warbler, which has weaker wingbars and a generally stouter appearance. Not as elongate-looking as Arctic Warbler, with a shorter-billed profile and a more extensive white supercilium that reaches the base of the upper bill (Arctic's brow stops well short of the bill). Extremely similar to Greenish Warbler: Two-barred tends to be more brightly colored above than Greenish and has two wingbars instead of one. Song a series of quick trills and squeaks, lacking the two introductory notes of Greenish; call a flat series of three notes, similar to Greenish. Breeds in taiga forest, winters in a range of forest and forest edge habitats.
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