Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Little Friarbird

Philemon citreogularis (Gould, 1837)

25–30 cmLength61 gWeight

The little friarbird (Philemon citreogularis), also known as the little leatherhead or yellow-throated friarbird, is the smallest of the friarbirds within the Philemon genus.

Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September–October · Most records: Australia

Little Friarbird has been recorded at 126 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Broome Bird ObservatoryAustralia4,017 records
  2. Sandy Camp Road WetlandsAustralia2,902 records
  3. Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia2,174 records
More places
  1. Oxley Creek CommonAustralia1,353 records
  2. Broome South Wastewater Treatment PlantAustralia1,265 records
  3. Bundaberg Botanical GardensAustralia1,204 records
  4. Carlyle Gardens Retirement Resort, TownsvilleAustralia990 records
  5. Lake Samsonvale – Golds Scrub LaneAustralia977 records
  6. Gemmill Swamp Wildlife ReserveAustralia892 records
  7. Muirhead bushlandAustralia866 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The little friarbird (Philemon citreogularis), also known as the little leatherhead or yellow-throated friarbird, is the smallest of the friarbirds within the Philemon genus. It is found throughout northern and eastern Australia as well as southern Papua New Guinea. It lives a very prominent life, whereby it can easily be seen chasing other honeyeaters, and also it is very vocal.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Little Friarbird?

The Little Friarbird is about 25–30 cm long and weighs around 61 g.

Where does the Little Friarbird live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: south-central New Guinea and northern, eastern Australia. It is most often recorded in Australia.

When is the best time to see the Little Friarbird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and October (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Little Friarbird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Little Friarbird as Least Concern.

What does the Little Friarbird eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Little Friarbird in?

It belongs to the family Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
25–30 cm
Weight
61 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
127 mm
Tail
103 mm
Bill
31 mm
Tarsus
27 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: south-central New Guinea and northern, eastern Australia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Honeyeaters Meliphagidae
Genus
Philemon

Other birds in the genus Philemon

Meyer's FriarbirdMeyer's FriarbirdPhilemon meyeriBrass's FriarbirdBrass's FriarbirdPhilemon brassiGrey FriarbirdGrey FriarbirdPhilemon kisserensisTimor FriarbirdTimor FriarbirdPhilemon inornatusMorotai FriarbirdMorotai FriarbirdPhilemon fuscicapillusSeram FriarbirdSeram FriarbirdPhilemon subcorniculatusBuru FriarbirdBuru FriarbirdPhilemon moluccensisTanimbar FriarbirdTanimbar FriarbirdPhilemon plumigenisHelmeted FriarbirdHelmeted FriarbirdPhilemon buceroidesNew Britain FriarbirdNew Britain FriarbirdPhilemon cockerelliNew Ireland FriarbirdNew Ireland FriarbirdPhilemon eichhorniManus FriarbirdManus FriarbirdPhilemon albitorques
Little Friarbird

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Sandy Horne. ↗

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