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Silver-crowned Friarbird (Philemon argenticeps) Alternate name(s): "Silvery-crowned Friarbird" Size: 28-32 cm Body mass: 65-105 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 Silver-crowned Friarbirds are medium-sized nectar-eating birds. They have a dark-grey facial skin mask and a small, erect black knob (small casque) on the base of the bill. The crown, throat, chest and the tufted neck are scalloped silvery light-grey. The belly and undertail coverts are a light shade of greyish-brown. The back is darker grey-brown, while the wings are darker grey yet, with light-brown and light-grey edge lining. The tail is grey and has a square-shaped end. The irises are dark-brown; the long, down-curved bill, the legs and feet are all dark-grey. Juveniles have a smaller knob. Twitcher's tip Compared with Helmeted Friarbirds, they have a more triangular-shaped dark-grey skin patch around the eyes.

Taxonomy, classification See Silver-crowned 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 Silver-crowned Friarbird is available HERE . There are two races of Silver-crowned Friarbirds, both of which are endemic to the tropical North of Australia. Nominate race "argenticeps" is found in the Kimberley, WA, and the entire Top End of the NT and along the South coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, plus a small southern extension towards Mt. Isa, QLD. Race "kempi" resides only in a coastal strip around the tip of Cape York peninsula, down to the geographic latitude of Lakefield NP and Starck NP near Cape Melville, QLD. Silver-crowned Friarbirds have a preference for open forest and woodland and also mangrove.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "argenticeps" B. Hensen reports spotting Silver-crowned Friarbirds, race "argenticeps", at Knuckey Lagoons, Darwin, NT, in July 2013. Since then other contributors report them from the same area, up to Palmerston, NT, semi-regularly. We spotted Silver-crowned Friarbirds, race "argenticeps", in Darwin, NT, in August 2014. J. Greaves reports spotting a Silver-crowned Friarbird, race "argenticeps", at Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, NT, in September 2014. P. Brown reports finding Silver-crowned Friarbirds, race "argenticeps", at Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, in April 2018. M. Eaton found a Silver-crowned Friarbird, race "argenticeps", at Nourlangie Rock, Kakadu NP, NT, in July 2020. Another was found at the Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, in June 2026. C. Pears spotted a Silver-crowned Friarbird, race "argenticeps", at Cable Beach, Broome, WA, in June 2026. This location is right on the western edge of the species' range.

Photos

Race "argenticeps"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird looking sideways (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, July 2018]

Frontal view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird looking sideways (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, June 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird looking down, thereby showing its name-giving silver crown
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Knuckey Lagoons, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Near-frontal view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird issuing its call; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 9 April 2018
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Knuckey Lagoons, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Near-frontal view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird "harvesting" cobwebs for binding its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Nosy Silver-crowned Friarbird studying the photographer (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Knuckey Lagoons, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Close-up near-frontal/ventral view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Close-up near-lateral/ventral view of a preening Silver-crowned Friarbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Victoria River Roadhouse, NT, June 2026]

Close-up lateral view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a preening Silver-crowned Friarbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird issuing its call; note that the bird's casque is hidden behind leaves
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, January 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird; this bird has many characteristics of an adult, such as a well-developed casque ("knob"), but still shows some faint yellow on the throat and scalloping on the wing coverts, indicating that it is still a sub-adult (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, December 2017]

Near-frontal view of a Silver-crowned Friarbird; this bird has many characteristics of an adult, such as a well-developed casque ("knob"), but still shows some faint yellow on the throat and scalloping on the wing coverts, indicating that it is still a sub-adult (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, December 2017]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Food, Diet

Silver-crowned Friarbird feeding on the nectar of a Grevillea (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Knuckey Lagoons, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

This Silver-crowned Friarbird... (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

... knows exactly where to look for water; note the conspicuous, name-giving silver crown (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

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.

silvfry_pb_20210924_3.m4a	argenticeps (Top End, NT)	Territorial calls?	© PB
silvfry_pb_20210924.m4a	argenticeps (Top End, NT)	Territorial calls? (+ Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo)	© PB
silvfry_pb_20180409.m4a	argenticeps (NE WA)	Warning/departure	© PB
silvfry_pb_20180414.m4a	argenticeps (Darwin, NT)	Feeding calls?	© PB
silvfry_pb_20190116.m4a	argenticeps (Inland NT)	Various (adults + juveniles)	© PB
silvfry_pb_20210924_2.m4a	argenticeps (Top End, NT)	?	© PB

More Silver-crowned 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.

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