Little Friarbird

Little Friarbird

Philemon citreogularis

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Brisbane

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

2,352 Verified sightings at Brisbane
653 In all 8 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Little Friarbird

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. However, the little friarbird is usually spotted high up in trees, rarely being seen on the ground.

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.

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... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call1:00

Australia · 2025

© Peter Boesman · XC1066561 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:07

Australia · 2024

© Lhacky · XC955979 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Dawn song1:08

Australia · 2022

© James Lambert · XC761166 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
2 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
3 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
4 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
5 Hattah-Kulkyne National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
6 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
7 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Little Friarbird in Brisbane?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Little Friarbird sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 2,352 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 63rd most-seen of the 237 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Little Friarbird in Brisbane?

February–April, August–September and December

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Little Friarbird in Brisbane on a given day, against about 10% in January, May–July and October–November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Little Friarbird?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Little Friarbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Where else can you see a Little Friarbird?

Only Brisbane, in our data

Brisbane is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Little Friarbird sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.

Where does the Little Friarbird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Little Friarbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Brisbane (2,352 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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