Buru Friarbird Philemon moluccensis Scientific name definitions

31–37 cm. Large to very large honeyeater with long, heavy and slightly decurved bill with no protuberance at base of upper mandible. Plumage is plain grey-brown above, tinged olive when fresh (fading paler and browner with wear), with silvery white to silvery grey side of crown and supercilium (continuing diffusely behind ear-coverts and down side of neck), short silvery tuft on hindneck and side of neck, and large blackish bare patch covering lores and most of side of head; narrow dense and hair-like dark brown malar stripe joining small but sparsely feathered dark brown patch on rear ear-coverts, interrupted by narrow silvery patch on lower anterior ear-coverts; off-white and finely dusky-streaked chin to centre of upper breast (feathers of throat and centre of upper breast slightly lanceolate); rest of underbody pale brown, paler than upperparts, at least sometimes diffusely mottled darker, and becoming paler still on vent and undertail-coverts; underwing pale rufous with darker trailing edge and tip; iris crimson or red; bill black, tinged bluish-black basally; legs bluish-grey to grey-black or black-brown. Sexes alike in plumage, female slightly smaller than male. Juvenile poorly known, differs from adult in having pale yellowish wash or streaking on side of lower throat and side of breast, and narrow greenish-yellow outer edges on remiges (indistinct and diffuse pale panel on folded wing).

Buru, in S Moluccas.

All wooded habitats: lowland and montane primary forest, monsoon forest, secondary forest and woodland, mangroves, heavily disturbed and selectively logged forest, agricultural land and coconut plantations. In recent surveys, found possibly to prefer open areas with some remnant old trees, possibly also at lower altitudes or in valleys; almost certainly more common in logged forest than in primary or secondary forest. Sea-level to 1760 m.

No information; presumed resident.

Poorly known. Occurs singly and in twos (possibly pairs), mainly in middle to upper levels of habitats; noisy, aggressive and conspicuous.

Reported as giving wide range of vocalizations; calls thought to be of present species, and not of its visual and vocal mimic the Buru Oriole (Oriolus bouroensis), include loud fluid “yio-wheea” and variants, short “ka wha”, and hard “kawah”. Thought to duet.

No information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Restricted-range species: present in Buru EBA. Common, with total population estimated at 920,000 individuals. Nevertheless, it is confined to a single island, which could place it at risk in the future.