Skip to main content

Photo: Vicki Nunn / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Little Friarbird

Philemon citreogularis

Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

See what's near you right now

The Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis) is a member of the Meliphagidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 60.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Meliphagidae Honeyeaters
  4. Genus Philemon
  5. Species citreogularis

Where it lives

South-central New Guinea and northern, eastern Australia

Quick facts

Weight
60.6 g
Diet
Omnivores
Family
Meliphagidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Little Friarbird is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Little Friarbird is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis) belongs to the Meliphagidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU sc New Guinea and n, e Australia.

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 60.6 g, with a wing length of about 12.7 cm and a tail of around 10.3 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.2 million km².

Songs & calls

Little Friarbird — Call

Recorded by Peter Boesman Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Little Friarbird?

The Little Friarbird is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 60.6 g.

Where does the Little Friarbird live?

The Little Friarbird is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU sc New Guinea and n, e Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Little Friarbird belong to?

The Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis) belongs to the Meliphagidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Little Friarbird eat?

The Little Friarbird is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Little Friarbird migrate?

The Little Friarbird is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Little Friarbird endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Little Friarbird make?

1 real field recording of the Little Friarbird — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Little Friarbird's range?

The Little Friarbird has a mapped global range of about 3.2 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Meliphagidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Back to top