Philemon corniculatus
Silhouette: James Klarevas · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The noisy friarbird (Philemon corniculatus) 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. It feeds on insects and nectar.
The noisy friarbird was first described by ornithologist John Latham in 1790. The generic name is from the Ancient Greek philēmōn 'affectionate, kissing'. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin corniculum '(having a) little horn'. It is sometimes known as a leatherhead. Wirgan was a name used by the local Eora and Darug inhabitants of the Sydney basin.
Molecular study shows its closest relative to be the silver-crowned friarbird within the genus Philemon. DNA analysis has shown honeyeaters to be related to the Pardalotidae (pardalotes), Acanthizidae (Australian warblers, scrubwrens, thornbills, etc.), and Maluridae (Australian fairy-wrens) in the large superfamily Meliphagoidea.
Measuring 31–36 cm (12–14 in) in length, the noisy friarbird is a large honeyeater with dull brownish grey upperparts and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gorge Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Noisy Friarbird sighting in Daintree National Park on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 130th most-seen of the 208 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Noisy Friarbird in Daintree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to January, the lowest months. That is one of Daintree National Park's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 50 mm in September.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Noisy Friarbird sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Noisy Friarbird sightings, Daintree National Park ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Noosa National Park (Australia, about 60%), Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Kosciuszko National Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same genus: Philemon
The closest relatives of the Noisy Friarbird that you can see in Daintree National Park (genus Philemon, Typical Friarbirds) are Helmeted Friarbird (about 50%) and Hornbill Friarbird (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Noisy Friarbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Daintree National Park (33 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
