Friarbird
Encyclopedia
The friarbirds are about 15 species of relatively large honeyeater
s in the genus Philemon. Additionally, the single member of the genus Melitograis is called the White-streaked Friarbird
. Friarbirds are found in Australia
, Papua New Guinea
, eastern Indonesia
and New Caledonia
. They eat nectar, insect
s and other invertebrate
s, flowers, fruit and seeds.
The friarbirds generally have drab plumage
. In many instances their plumage is mimicked by smaller oriole
s, which use the aggressive nature of the friarbirds to avoid aggression themselves.
Honeyeater
The honeyeaters are a large and diverse family of small to medium sized birds most common in Australia and New Guinea, but also found in New Zealand, the Pacific islands as far east as Samoa and Tonga, and the islands to the north and west of New Guinea known as Wallacea...
s in the genus Philemon. Additionally, the single member of the genus Melitograis is called the White-streaked Friarbird
White-streaked Friarbird
The White-streaked Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Melitograis...
. Friarbirds are found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, eastern Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. They eat nectar, insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and other invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s, flowers, fruit and seeds.
The friarbirds generally have drab plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
. In many instances their plumage is mimicked by smaller oriole
Oriole
Orioles are colourful Old World passerine birds in the genus Oriolus, the namesake of the corvoidean family Oriolidae. They are not related to the New World orioles, which are icterids and, belonging to the superfamily Passeroidea songbirds, are quite unrelated to the true orioles.The orioles are...
s, which use the aggressive nature of the friarbirds to avoid aggression themselves.
Species
Genus Philemon:- Meyer's FriarbirdMeyer's FriarbirdThe Meyer's Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Philemon meyeri) - Plain FriarbirdPlain FriarbirdThe Plain Friarbird, scientific name Philemon inornatus, is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is found in Indonesia and East Timor.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:...
(Philemon inornatus) - Brass's FriarbirdBrass's FriarbirdThe Brass's Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to West Papua, Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and swamps.It is threatened by habitat loss....
(Philemon brassi) - Little FriarbirdLittle FriarbirdThe Little Friarbird, Philemon citreogularis, is the smallest of the group of giant Australian honeyeaters called friarbirds. It occurs in open forest and woodland across eastern Australia and southern New Guinea....
(Philemon citreogularis)- Grey Friarbird (Philemon (citreogularis) kisserensis)
- Dusky FriarbirdDusky FriarbirdThe Dusky Friarbird is a species of friarbird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. It is a drag brown bird with pale undersides. The area around the eye is bare and pink. It is around 30 cm long...
(Philemon fuscicapillus) - Black-faced FriarbirdBlack-faced FriarbirdThe Black-faced Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Buru in Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Philemon moluccensis) - Grey-necked FriarbirdGrey-necked FriarbirdThe Seram Friarbird , also known as the Grey-necked Friarbird, is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.-References:* BirdLife International...
(Philemon subcorniculatus) - Helmeted FriarbirdHelmeted FriarbirdThe Helmeted Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.-Distribution and habitat:It is found in Indonesia and northern Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical mangrove...
(Philemon buceroides) - New Guinea FriarbirdNew Guinea FriarbirdThe Papuan Friarbird , also known as the New Guinea Friarbird, is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae, or honeyeater family.-Distribution and habitat:...
(Philemon novaeguineae) - White-naped FriarbirdWhite-naped FriarbirdThe White-naped Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Philemon albitorques) - New Britain FriarbirdNew Britain FriarbirdThe New Britain Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Philemon cockerelli) - New Ireland FriarbirdNew Ireland FriarbirdThe New Ireland Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Papua New Guinea.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Philemon eichhorni) - Silver-crowned FriarbirdSilver-crowned FriarbirdThe Silver-crowned Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.-References:...
(Philemon argenticeps) - Noisy FriarbirdNoisy FriarbirdThe Noisy Friarbird is a passerine bird of the honeyeater family Meliphagidae native to southern New Guinea and eastern Australia. It is one of several species known as friarbirds whose heads are bare of feathers. It is brown-grey in colour, with a prominent knob on its bare black-skinned head...
(Philemon corniculatus) - New Caledonian FriarbirdNew Caledonian FriarbirdThe New Caledonian Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to New Caledonia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
(Philemon diemenensis)