Noisy Friarbird

1. Bare black head with a visible knob above the bill.

2. Silvery-white throat patch contrasting with darker body.

3. Loud, varied calls often heard before the bird is seen.

These birds are primarily nectar feeders, using their brush-tipped tongues to extract nectar from eucalypts, banksias, and other flowering plants. They also eat fruit, insects, and sometimes small invertebrates or even eggs and nestlings. Noisy Friarbirds are aggressive defenders of food sources and nesting sites, often chasing away other birds. Breeding occurs from July to January, with the female building a deep cup-shaped nest of bark and grass, usually slung in a tree fork and well hidden. Both parents feed the chicks, and the species is known for forming long-term pairs. Smaller birds, such as flycatchers, sometimes nest nearby to benefit from the friarbird’s territorial defense

Noisy Friarbirds are widespread in eastern and southeastern Australia, from Cape York in the north down to Victoria, and also occur in southern New Guinea. They prefer eucalypt woodlands and forests, but are also found in coastal scrub, heathlands, wetlands, and urban areas with flowering native plants. In the southern part of their range, they are partial migrants, moving north in autumn and returning south in late winter. They are often seen foraging high in trees or in noisy groups, especially where food is abundant.

The Noisy Friarbird was among the first east coast Australian birds to be given an English name by European settlers, inspired by its bald head resembling a friar’s tonsure`.` The local Eora and Darug people of the Sydney basin name is “Wirgan”.