Friarbird
Genus of birds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The friarbirds, also called leatherheads, are a group of 18 relatively large honeyeaters in the genus Philemon. Additionally, the single member of the genus Melitograis is called the white-streaked friarbird. Friarbirds are found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, and New Caledonia. They eat nectar, insects and other invertebrates, flowers, fruit, and seeds.[1]
| Friarbirds | |
|---|---|
| |
| Noisy friarbird, Philemon corniculatus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Meliphagidae |
| Genus: | Philemon Vieillot, 1816 |
| Type species | |
| Merops moluccensis Gmelin, JF, 1788 | |
The friarbirds generally have drab plumage. They derive their name from the circular pattern at the crown of their heads and their neutral coloring, which makes them resemble friars. In many instances, their plumage is mimicked by smaller orioles, which use the aggressive nature of the friarbirds to avoid aggression themselves.[2]
Taxonomy
The genus Philemon was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot.[3] Vieillot did not specify a type species but this was designated as the Buru friarbird by George Gray in 1840.[4][5] The genus name is from Ancient Greek philēmōn meaning "affectionate" or "kissing".[6]
The genus contains the following 16 species:[7]
| Image | Name | Common name |
|---|---|---|
 | Philemon meyeri | Meyer's friarbird |
| Philemon brassi | Brass's friarbird | |
 | Philemon citreogularis | Little friarbird |
.jpg) | Philemon kisserensis | Grey friarbird |
 | Philemon inornatus | Timor friarbird |
 | Philemon fuscicapillus | Morotai friarbird |
 | Philemon subcorniculatus | Seram friarbird |
.jpeg) | Philemon moluccensis | Buru friarbird |
 | Philemon plumigenis | Tanimbar friarbird |
 | Philemon buceroides | Helmeted friarbird |
 | Philemon cockerelli | New Britain friarbird |
| Philemon eichhorni | New Ireland friarbird | |
 | Philemon albitorques | Manus friarbird |
 | Philemon argenticeps | Silver-crowned friarbird |
| Philemon corniculatus | Noisy friarbird |
 | Philemon diemenensis | New Caledonian friarbird |
Formerly, some authorities also considered the black-eared oriole (as Philedon bouroensis) a species within the genus Philemon.