Philemon citreogularis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Friarbird sighting in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, based on 61 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 107th most-seen of the 170 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Little Friarbird in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to August, the lowest months. Those are among Hattah-Kulkyne National Park's wettest months, with about 35 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in February.
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.
5th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Little Friarbird sightings, Hattah-Kulkyne National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nitmiluk National Park (Australia, about 30%), Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same family: Meliphagidae
The closest relatives of the Little Friarbird that you can see in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (family Meliphagidae, Honeyeaters) are Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (about 70%), Noisy Miner (about 60%) and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Little Friarbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park (61 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.
