Helmeted Friarbird Philemon buceroides Scientific name definitions

32–36 cm; male average 120·6 g and female 107·1 g (nominate), male average 101·2 g and female 90·7 g (gordoni), male 100–131 g and female 96–112 g (ammitophilus), male 127–179 g and female 120–155 g (jobiensis), male 133–146 g and female 98–125 g (yorki), 110–145g (novaeguineae). Large to very large honeyeater (the largest on mainland Australia) with heavy and slightly decurved bill, and distinctive backward-sloping and somewhat rounded but varyingly prominent casque at base of upper mandible. Nominate race is plain grey-brown above and below, with fine white spotting or scaling on rump and uppertail-coverts in fresh plumage; silvery off-white to pale grey-brown top of head and short, upcurled and somewhat “combed” tuft on upper hindneck; large blackish to dark blue-grey bare patch on lores and most of side of head (diagnostically rounded where it meets feathering behind eye), narrow dense and hair-like dark brown malar stripe ending in triangular patch on lower rear ear-coverts, and bare blackish patch on lower hindneck and side of neck; off-white and finely dark-streaked chin to upper breast, with prominent gorget of lanceolate feathers on lower throat and centre of upper breast; underbody below gorget often faintly mottled darker; iris crimson or red; bill and casque black; legs bluish-grey to grey-black or black-brown. Sexes alike. Juvenile has only rudimentary casque (small bump at base of upper mandible), less developed tuft of feathering on hindneck, brown wash on upperbody, narrow brown tips on secondary and greater primary coverts, indistinct and diffuse greenish-yellow panel on folded wing (narrow edges of secondaries), narrow greenish-yellow edges and fine buff-white tips on rectrices, uniformly off-white chin to upper breast (lacks streaked gorget), slightly duller facial skin, and brownish-red or grey iris; immature like adult but distinctive, casque gradually attains adult shape and size over first year, gorget washed pale yellow, in fresh plumage upperbody and side of breast messily scalloped or barred white (effect reduced with wear), and retains juvenile wing and tail (tips of upperwing-coverts paler, more distinct than in juvenile). Races differ only slightly, mainly in overall size and in size and prominence of casque, probably also subtly in darkness of plumage, “nominate group” tending to have rather pale plumage and “novaeguineae group” slightly darker (but plumage markedly affected by wear and fading over year, and examination of range of specimens in equivalent stages of wear required, but such material not available), possibly also in amount and exact distribution of bare skin on head (but available data incomplete): neglectus is apparently similar to nominate, but darker overall (and with slightly different vocalizations); gordoni has casque small but still obvious; <em>ammitophilus</em> has casque very small; <em>novaeguineae</em> and aruensis have casque well developed; <em>jobiensis</em> virtually lacks casque (also, eyes of this race and novaeguineae described as sometimes red-brown to brown or grey-brown, but confirmation needed); subtuberosus and tagulanus have casque of intermediate size; <em>yorki</em> has large and prominent casque , pale throat and neck, and silvery crown.

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Varies slightly among races in Australia. Race ammitophilus mainly on sandstone plateaux and escarpments in sites supporting monsoon forest and broadleaf scrub dominated by Allosyncarpia ternata; also in flowering riparian paperbark (Melaleuca) forest in valleys, open eucalypt forest or woodlands near escarpments, and ecotone between monsoon forest and open eucalypt forest with flowering Eucalyptus, where mostly in near-coastal forests, woodlands and mangroves; gordoni occurs coastally, mainly in mangroves, but also in monsoon forests, open eucalypt forests and woodlands with grassy or shrubby understorey, and paperbark swamps, acacia forests, and urban gardens. In Queensland, yorki mainly in open forests and woodlands or swamp-forests dominated by eucalypts and paperbarks; also lowland tropical forest, deciduous vine scrubs, mangroves, gallery forest and heathland, and in urban parks and gardens; rarely, at edges of higher-altitude closed forest on tablelands, forests of hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) on ridges or in valleys, or stands of casuarinas and Pandanus on coral strands. In New Guinea, recorded in all wooded habitats and even scattered tall trees: in mangroves, freshwater swamps, primary rainforest, including riparian vegetation, forest edge, tall secondary growth, open Eucalyptus forest and savanna, tall trees in grassland, and modified habitats such as cultivation, plantations (including of teak), gardens, orchards, roadside vegetation and towns, villages and cities. Inhabits undisturbed forest to an altitude of c. 750 m but disturbed habitats up to 1450 m; thought to be recent colonizer of Wau Valley, at 1100 m, and confined to disturbed habitats and forest edge (though one of the numerically dominant birds in valley). In Bintuni Bay, in NW New Guinea, recorded in mangroves and freshwater swamp-forests dominated by Metroxylon, Pandanus and Intsia, in a wide zone of vegetation dominated by the brackish-water palm Nypa fruticans lying between these two associations, and in moist lowland rainforests. In examination of vegetation succession (from gardens to forest) resulting from slash-and-burn agriculture in lowland New Guinea, recorded in all except the most recently established garden plots (with much grass cover), and tended to be more abundant in less disturbed plots. In Wallacea, recorded in all wooded habitats, including mangroves, lowland and montane rainforest, semi-evergreen rainforest and monsoon forest, savanna Eucalyptus woodland (with grassy understorey) and other open woodlands (e.g. of Acacia, Zizyphus and Tamarindus), swamp-forest, riparian vegetation, coastal scrub, and modified habitats such as agricultural land, plantations of coconuts, candlenuts and bananas, village gardens, and in and around settlements; other habitats include seasonal montane forest dominated by Eucalyptus urophylla on Adonara, and closed swamp-forest with diverse range of trees (including Terminalia) to 25 m tall on Lembata; while considered forest-dependent on a range of Wallacean islands, usually recorded in all or most described habitats, with tendency to be more common in forest. In both Wallacea and New Guinea occurs from sea-level to 1600 m, more often in lowlands or mid-montane altitudes to c. 1000 m; in New Guinea locally as high as 2170 m, e.g. 1800 m (Jimi, Kaironk and Simbai Valleys) and 1980 m (Rakamanda, in Enga Province); in Wallacea from sea-level to 1200 m on Lombok, rare above 1000 m on Sumbawa, to 700 m (occasionally 1500 m) on Flores, to above 950 m on Sumba, to 700 m on Timor, to 930 m on Atauro; in Australia mainly coasts and coastal plains, less often adjacent foothills, ranges and tablelands.

Apparently resident throughout much of range, with some local movements (hence claims of nomadism). In Australia, movement from mangroves into Darwin area in autumn-winter, and, in Torres Strait, occasional or regular visitor to some smaller islands. Also appears at sites when Melaleuca or Eucalyptus in flower. Although described as migratory around L Kutubu, in E New Guinea, moving away during wet season (May to early Sept), extent of such movements not known.

Mainly nectar, fruit and seeds, also invertebrates (insects, including large mantids and insect larvae, and spiders); rarely, lizards (once, in New Guinea, c. 25 cm in length), and eggs of other birds. Fruits include those of figs (Ficus), in New Guinea also of Psychotria. Said to feed also on sap exuding from burnt sugar cane. Forages at all levels, mostly in canopy, less often in subcanopy or shrub layer; very occasionally on ground. When in mixed-species flocks, moves quickly through trees, foraging mostly in foliage in or just below upper canopy. Main technique is probing in flowers, of wide variety of trees (e.g. Schefflera in Australia and New Guinea, Sesbania in Wallacea, also Metroxylon in New Guinea), as well as mistletoes (Loranthaceae); also gleans from foliage of inner and outer canopy, from branches and among flowers and fruits, and sallies for insects, including sally-striking for flying insects and sally-hovering at foliage; seen to search for spiders under loose bark. In New Guinea, observed to sally-hover while picking ants (Formicidae) from ant nests, then return to perch to eat them. When feeding on Syzygium in New Guinea, moved from one flower cluster to the next by hopping along branches or flying between branches; perched on or beside clusters, and fed on only a few individual flowers before moving to next cluster. Noisy, conspicuous and aggressive, but can be wary. Usually seen singly, in twos (possibly pairs) and in small groups; regularly in parties of up to 20 at sources of abundant food, particularly flowering or fruiting trees, and group of at least 100 individuals once seen in fruiting tree in W New Guinea. Sometimes forage with other species in flowering trees, including P. argenticeps, and one seen in mixed-species feeding flock with ten other species of honeyeater. Pugnacious in defence of food sources and aggressive to smaller bird species in flowering trees, but tolerates its visual mimic the Brown Oriole (Oriolus szalayi).

Noisy, with range of rather harsh warbling calls. In New Guinea , heard all day, and often at night, and calling loudest and most frequent in morning; song the most characteristic bird sound of New Guinea and Wallacea lowlands; in Australia , calls most often in early morning or after rain. In New Guinea, song loud and rollicking but monotonous, of phrases of 2–6 (usually 3–4) loud nasal slurs, such as “keeyo-keoway” or “kowee ko keeyo”, repeated up to a dozen times and becoming progressively somewhat louder, pauses of less than 1 second between repetitions. In Wallacea, song described as varying, loud, nasal and coarsely musical 3-note phrases lasting c. 1·5 seconds and repeated at short intervals (race neglectus); and a series of 2–3 hoarse, nasal and low-pitched disyllabic “ahga, ahga” phrases lasting 1–2 seconds and repeated at intervals of 10–20 seconds, sometimes monotonously and sometimes with increases in volume; and variant described as “aa, ahga” lasting c. 1 second (nominate race). Other vocalizations include hissing throaty “kurr-rk”, slowly repeated 8–10 times during foraging (bringing no response from mate), and fainter variant sometimes given by bird on nest; mournful and downslurred “poor devil, poor devil”, repeated many times, at regular intervals, by incubating bird, and as location call at dawn and dusk; diagnostic “watch out, watch out”, with stress on first syllable, possibly given only by male; metallic “chilanc chilanc”, with second syllable stressed and slightly higher than first; and monotonous “chank chank chank”. Other vocalizations reported from New Guinea include repeated single notes, e.g. high-pitched and slurred “quiew” or clear, liquid disyllabic phrase “widow” or disyllabic “wuwi” or “wurri”; also rasping “rrrrrrrr…”. Duetting, both in unison and antiphonally, reported (perhaps most often in late afternoon and early morning, and apparent increase before nesting); at one nest, either member of pair initiated duet, with contribution of one bird at higher pitch; when duet antiphonal, partners together utter phrase, one contributing 2–3 notes, the other 1–2 notes, the two may start or finish together or not.

Most data from Australia, where breeding recorded in all months except May and Jul, mainly Sept–Feb; on Flores two peaks of laying, in Feb–May and Oct–Dec (only one record in Dec), with few records in Jun (breeding activity declines in Dec–Mar wet season), also nest-building and active nests recorded Aug–Sept on Sumba and nestlings in late Mar on Roti; in New Guinea appears to nest throughout year except early dry season. Nest a large, deep, loosely constructed open cup, made of strips of bark or bark fibre or, less often, sticks, leaves, vine tendrils, sometimes with grass, a few leaves, wool or cobweb added, lined with fine plant stems, fine tendrils and broken leaves; often materials from nests of other species used or material taken from old nests of its own reused; external diameter 15–23 cm, depth 15–18 cm, internal diameter 9–15 cm, depth 8–15 cm; usually suspended from thin fork or in clump of foliage, often also supported, at end of horizontal branch in live tree, particularly Eucalyptus or Melaleuca (or in mistletoe in these), less often in shrub or mangrove, often close to or over water, 1·5–18 m (mean 7·3 m) above ground; nest of previous year also reused; in New Guinea (few reports) some nests described as pensile and often in crown of tall tree (2·5–23 m up), also in mangrove; in Australia, apparent nesting association with Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus), Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti) and Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica), possibly for mutual protection (records of up to five figbird nests and a drongo nest in same tree as nest of present species); in New Guinea, twice reported as nesting in same tree as Brown Oriole (nests 8–9 m apart), once in same tree as White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina papuensis), and reported as nesting in same tree as Hooded (Cracticus cassicus) and Black-backed Butcherbirds (Cracticus mentalis). In Australia clutch 3–4 eggs, occasionally 5 (mean 3·69 in Queensland), in New Guinea said to be 2–3 eggs (but one brood of four seen); incubation period at two nests 17–19 days; chicks possibly brooded by both parents (confirmation needed), fed by both but at some nests possibly fed only by female, nestling period once more than 15 days in Australia, once c. 17–18 days in New Guinea. Fledglings fed by both parents for at least 2–3 weeks after fledging. Nests parasitized by Eastern Koel (Eudynamys orientalis) and Pallid Cuckoo (Heteroscenes pallidus).

Not globally threatened. In Wallacea, generally widespread and common to abundant, including on Sumbawa, Moyo, Sangeang and Adonara; uncommon on Roti and Atauro. Generally common to abundant in New Guinea; density at Port Moresby 0·53 birds/ha. Locally common to uncommon in Australia; recorded densities of 0·1–5·8 birds/ha at various sites in Northern Territory. In New Guinea, this species is thought to have expanded its range into cultivated mid-mountain valleys only recently; this process continuing. Possible reports of this species on Morotai (off N Halmahera) not confirmed.