- Philemon moluccensis
Includes: Tanimbar Friarbird
Identification
Length 31–37 cm. A large honeyeater with a long, decurved bill.
A Plain greyish brown above.
A tinged dark green when fresh fading to pale brown when worn.
Achromatic side of crown and supercilium blending behind the ear coverts
and down the side of the neck.
A short silver tuft on the side of the neck on the hindneck.
A large black patch of bare skin covering lores and a large portion
of the side of the head.
Thin but strong dark brown malar stripe meeting a small dark brown area
on the rear of the ear coverts, with a narrow achromatic patch on lower
rear ear coverts.
The chin is buff coloured and thin dark streaks which reach to the to
centre of the upper breast. Paler brown underparts than upperparts with
some darker speckling, getting lighter on the ear coverts and becoming
paler still on the vent and the undertail coverts.
The underwing is pale reddish brown with a darker trailing edge and tip.
The eye is red or dark red.
The beak is black, with bluish toward the base.
The Legs are dark.
Sexes alike with the female being slightly smaller.
Distribution
Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Moluccas
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies recognized:[1]
- P. m. moluccensis:
- Buru (northern Moluccas)
- P. m. plumigenis:
- Tanimbar Island (Larat, Yamdena); Kai Island (Kai Kecil, Kai Besar)
Plumigenis is sometimes considered a full species, Tanimbar Friarbird.
Habitat
It occurs in all wooded habitats, farm land and coconut plantations. Might prefer open areas with some mature trees at lower altitudes or valleys; Thought to prefer logged forests to primary or secondary forest. Elevation; from Sea level to 1760 m.
Behaviour
Diet
Little is known. Forages alone and in twos, in middle to upper levels of the canopy. It is belligerent and easily seen.
Vocalisation
A noisy bird with a wide range including; loud “yio-wheea”, short “ka wha”, and hard “kawah”. Possibly duets. It is mimicked by the Black-eared Oriole
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- BF Member observations
- Wikipedia
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Black-faced Friarbird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Black-faced_Friarbird
