Bird guideNoisy Friarbird

Named for its incessant, raucous calls; its bare black head is an adaptation for probing deep into flowers for nectar.

⚠️Not listed
🍃Indigenous: Dhaguway

At a glance

FamilyHoneyeaters
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
Habitatopen woodland, closed forest, sparse woodland, grassland, and waterbodies
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from June to November.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Marc Anderson

Range map

Range map

5566visible hotspots
258143visible records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Measuring 31–36 cm (12–14 in) in length, the noisy friarbird is a large honeyeater with dull brownish grey upperparts and paler brown-grey underparts. The consumption of commercially grown fruit, such as grapes and berries, can bring noisy friarbirds into direct conflict with humans who may regard them as pests under those circumstances.

Behavior

As its name suggests, it is noisy; one of its calls has been likened to "four o'clock". The calls are used to identify an individual's feeding territory, and also announce the presence of food sources worth defending to other birds—not necessarily friarbirds alone.

Regional timing

New South Wales
Peak: September to November99,808 records
Queensland
Peak: June to November122,915 records
Victoria
Peak: September to November15,276 records
Australian Capital Territory
Peak: January19,829 records
South Australia
Peak: April4 records
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