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18

Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis) Alternate name(s): "Little Leatherhead", "Yellow-throated Friarbird" Size: 25-30 cm Weight: 50-80 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Little Friarbirds are medium-sized nectar-eating birds. They are the smallest of the Australian friarbirds. They have a bluish-grey facial skin mask (lores and around the eyes). The front, from the throat to the undertail coverts, is a light shade of greyish-brown. The crown and the back are darker grey-brown, with a grey nape of the neck, while the wings are darker greyish-brown yet. The tail is grey and has a square-shaped end. The irises are dark-brown; the down-curved bill, the legs and feet are all dark-grey. Juvenile Little Friarbirds have a yellow throat patch, which gives the species its name ("citreogularis"). They also have yellow edge-lining on their flight feathers. Twitcher's tip Little Friarbirds do not have a visible knob (casque).

Taxonomy, classification See Little Friarbird at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Little Friarbird is available HERE . Little Friarbirds can be found in New Guinea and in northern and eastern Australia. There are two races of Little Friarbirds in Australia. Nominate race "citreogularis" is found East of a line going straight South from the tip of Cape York peninsula, all through QLD, inland NSW and northern VIC, to the Murray/Darling confluence. South of the Manning River in NSW, they are not found anywhere on the coastal fringe other than in the Hunter River valley. To the West of the tip of Cape York, down to Mt. Isa, along the southern end of the Gulf of Carpentaria, across the entire Top End of the NT and the Kimberley in WA, race "sordidus" is found. Little Friarbirds can usually be found in open forest and woodland, where there are flowering trees. They take nectar from various types of flowers, but they particularly like the flowers of banksias and grevilleas. Little Friarbirds adapt well to the presence of humans and will enter urban parks and gardens. Where to look? How to find this species? While feeding in eucalypts, honeyeaters often stay high up in the crowns of trees and are therefore hard to spot. But many species, including Little Friarbirds, will also visit lower plants to feed on nectar in gardens, such as e.g. Eremophila, Banksia, Grevillea or Callistemon. There they are much easier to spot.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "citreogularis" Little Friarbirds, race "citreogularis", were less common and less conspicuous than Noisy Friarbirds 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, in the years 2003-2006, but still regularly seen. Also at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, Little Friarbirds, race "citreogularis", are observed more regularly in spring/summer than in autumn/winter, until in 2010 they started nesting in our garden. A. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Little Friarbirds, race "citreogularis", at Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, in the timeframe July/August 2012. Little Friarbirds, race "citreogularis", were found by us to be common and widespread throughout inland NSW on trips in March 2008 and September 2012. M. Eaton reports finding Little Friarbirds, race "citreogularis", along the Jardine River, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in August 2019. M. Mearns reports finding a Little Friarbird in Croydon, QLD, in September 2019. This location, at the western base of Cape York peninsula, is in the transition zone between races "citreogularis" and "sordidus". Race "sordidus" We first spotted Little Friarbirds, race "sordidus", in various locations in the Top End of the NT (e.g. Darwin and surrounds, Fogg Dam CR, Palmerston, Pine Creek) in August 2014, where various contributors also find them regularly. J. Greaves reports spotting a Little Friarbird, race "sordidus", at Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, NT, in September 2014, and in Darwin, NT, in September 2016. M. Mearns reports finding a Little Friarbird in Croydon, QLD, in September 2019. This location, at the western base of Cape York peninsula, is in the transition zone between races "citreogularis" and "sordidus".

Photos

Race "citreogularis"

Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a look here .

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2023]

Close-up frontal portrait of a Little Friarbird looking sideways (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, July 2012]

Close-up frontal/ventral view of a Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2015]

Near-frontal view of a Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Mackay, QLD, July 2021]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird; this bird was found in a transition zone between races "citreogularis" and "sordidus"
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Croydon, QLD, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird drying its plumage after a bath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2010]

Little Friarbird preening
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2010]

Little Friarbird sitting next to an Olive-backed Oriole, both waiting their turn for a drink of water under the tree
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2006]

Little Friarbird securing the left side...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]

...then the right
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]

Little Friarbird having a drink
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2007]

Little Friarbird taking off from its perch
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, January 2013]

Distant view from behind of a Little Friarbird in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Little Friarbird showing the typical (namegiving) yellow throat
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2022]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2012]

Lateral view of a juvenile Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Jardine River, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a juvenile Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Dundowran Beach, Hervey Bay, QLD, May 2018]

Frontal view of a juvenile Little Friarbird calling to be fed
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2008]

View from underneath of the spiny yellow throat plumage of a juvenile Little Friarbird waiting to be fed
[Near Narrabri, NSW, January 2006]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Little Friarbird
[Narrabri, NSW, November 2010]

Ventral view of a juvenile Little Friarbird in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2023]

Fledgling Little Friarbird waiting to be fed...
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]

... not far away from its two Little Friarbird siblings
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2011]

Race "sordidus"

Note that the facial skin of Little Friarbirds, race "sordidus", shows less pale-blue than in the nominate race.

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Little Friarbird
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Nightcliff, Darwin, NT, November 2020]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, June 2014]

Near-lateral view of a Little Friarbird feeding in mangrove (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, January 2016]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, January 2019]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Lateral view onto the upperparts of a Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, January 2016]

Lateral view of a Little Friarbird; this bird was found in a transition zone between races "citreogularis" and "sordidus"
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Croydon, QLD, September 2019]

Ventral view of a Little Friarbird that has caught a cicada (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, November 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Little Friarbird - note the yellow chin and shoulders (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Holmes Jungle Nature Park, Darwin, NT, April 2020]

Two juvenile Little Friarbirds sharing a bath (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Holmes Jungle Nature Park, Darwin, NT, April 2020]

This juvenile Little Friarbird shows copious amounts of yellow not only on chin and cheeks, but also the characteristic yellow edge lining on the flight feathers (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Partly obscured near-frontal view of a juvenile Little Friarbird; note the yellow hues not only on the chin and chest, but also down the belly to the undertail coverts (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, December 2017]

Lateral view of a juvenile Little Friarbird; note the yellow hues not only on the chin and chest, but also down the belly to the undertail coverts (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, December 2017]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Little Friarbird (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, December 2017]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Feb

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 16 days

Fledging age: 17 - 19 days

Given the right conditions, Little Friarbirds can breed almost any time of the year (except April/May).

While, to the best of our knowledge, ALL other local birds lost their nests and/or broods in a severe hail storm with destructive winds in November 2016, only the local pair of Little Friarbirds managed to successfully raise two chicks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2016]

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Suspended basket

Material: Twigs, grass

Height above ground: 3 - 20 m

Little Friarbirds were seen by us nesting quite late in the 2010/11 breeding season, when building their nest in December and starting to sit on their eggs in the second half of December. But they had their first clutch out in no time and were busy feeding chicks again already by mid-February. The second nest was built in the same tree (Acacia salicina) as the first of the season, but hanging from a different branch.

Additional information

To see a sequence of photos showing the activities of an adult bird at its nest, click here.

Additional information

Little Friarbirds like to take advantage of the protection offered by nesting under an Australian Magpie nest. There is now a separate page about various bird species nesting under the umbrella of a stronger, protective species.

Little Friarbird entering its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2010]

Little Friarbird sitting on the nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2010]

Little Friarbird peeking out of its nest to see what is going on underneath
[Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2010]

Fledgling Little Friarbird that fell out of a tree on the day of leaving the nest; that day 190 mm of rain fell, which is why the bird is soaking wet and could not fly just yet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2012]

Before being put back on a tree branch by us, the fledgling Little Friarbird was fed by its parents on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2012]

Little Friarbird pinching nest material from the nest of a pair of Yellow-rumped Thornbills that was still under construction
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2013]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 27 x 20 mm

Colour: Creamy, with brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Little Friarbirds protect their nest and its surroundings with determination, also against much more powerful birds, such as e.g. Australian Magpies.

Little Friarbird harassing a Brahminy Kite (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, January 2016]

Previously, we thought that one point for basking in the sun is pretty much like any other, but not so! A pair of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters had to yield to this determined Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2013]

Previously, we thought that one point for basking in the sun is pretty much like any other, but not so! A pair of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters had to yield to this determined Little Friarbird
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2013]

Food, Diet

Adults: Nectar, insects

Dependents: Insects

Water intake: Daily

Like many other honeyeaters, Little Friarbirds do not exclusively feed on nectar, but use their sticky tongue to take insects too.

Little Friarbird feeding on nectar from the flowers of a lemon-scented eucalypt
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2012]

View onto the upperparts of a Little Friarbird taking nectar from a bottlebrush (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, March 2013]

View onto the underparts of a Little Friarbird taking nectar from a bottlebrush (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Close-up frontal portrait of a Little Friarbird taking nectar from a bottlebrush, with pollen stuck to the front of its head
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]

Close-up near-frontal portrait of a Little Friarbird taking nectar from a bottlebrush, with pollen stuck to the front of its head
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Little Friarbird taking nectar from a bottlebrush, with pollen stuck to the front of its head
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Little Friarbird taking nectar from a bottlebrush, with pollen stuck to the front of its head
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Little Friarbird taking nectar from a bottlebrush
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2022]

Little Friarbird displaying behaviour typical of a flycatcher, hunting off a low perch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

This Little Friarbird has caught a fair-sized meal
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a Little Friarbird with its prey, a cicada (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

This Little Friarbird has caught what looks like a small cicada
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2012]

Little Friarbird whacking the wings off a dragon fly before feeding it to one of its nestlings
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2016]

Little Friarbirds can sometimes be seen hunting insects on the ground
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Little Friarbird making proper use of a water fountain
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Additional information

In the case of Little Friarbirds we know that they feed their chicks with insects only. For more information, click here.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

ltfriar_20210808_2.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
ltfriar_20210808.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Contact calls (Q&A)	© MD
ltfriar_20151222.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial song (male display flight)	© MD
ltfriar_20151021.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial call?	© MD
ltfriar_20170905_4.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial call?	© MD
ltfriar_20190722.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Territorial call?	© MD
ltfriar_20200531.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Squabbling	© MD
ltfriar_20200531_2.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Squabbling	© MD
ltfriar_art_20140929.m4a	citreogularis (SE QLD)	Feeding calls	© ART
ltfriar_20180129.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Begging calls (juvenile)	© MD
ltfriar_20170802.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Various	© MD
ltfriar_20150804.mp3	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Various	© MD
ltfriar_20150804_2.mp3	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Q&A (with Galah)	© MD
ltfriar_20170905_2.m4a	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Defending food source?	© MD
ltfriar_20140416.mp3	citreogularis (NW NSW)	Defending food source?	© MD
ltfriar_20141001_3.mp3	citreogularis (NW NSW)	? (fighting)	© MD
ltfriar_20140818.mp3	sordidus (Pine Creek, NT)	?	© MD

Click here for more recordings

More Little Friarbird sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Sat, 9 December 2023, 4:38 +00:00