Little Friarbird

Little Friarbird

Philemon citreogularis

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Springbrook National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

14 Verified sightings at Springbrook National Park From 2019 to 2026
653 In all 8 parks
September 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 Springbrook National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Little Friarbird sighting in Springbrook National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 118th most-seen of the 136 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Little Friarbird in Springbrook National Park?

September and November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Little Friarbird in Springbrook National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October and December–August, 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.

Is Springbrook National Park the best place to see a Little Friarbird?

6th of 8

Of the 8 parks where we can rate Little Friarbird sightings, Springbrook National Park ranks 6th 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%).

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 Springbrook National Park (14 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.

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