Philemon meyeri
Meyer's Friarbird (Philemon meyeri) is a distinctive member of the honeyeater family, Meliphagidae, endemic to the montane regions of New Guinea. Measuring approximately 22-26 cm in length and weighing around 40-55 grams, it is one of the smaller friarbird species. Its plumage is generally an unassuming pale grey-brown on the upperparts, contrasting with a paler, sometimes whitish, belly. The most striking field mark is its prominent, bare black facial skin that extends from the lore around t...
This species primarily inhabits montane and hill forests, forest edges, and disturbed secondary growth, often ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 meters in elevation, though occasionally found higher or lower.
It has a mixed diet, primarily consuming nectar from flowering plants, various insects (arthropods) gleaned from foliage or caught in flight, and small fruits.
Meyer's Friarbird is a diurnal and active species, often observed singly or in pairs, though sometimes joining mixed-species foraging flocks. It employs various foraging strategies, actively gleaning insects from foliage, probing flowers for nectar, and occasionally hawking insects in flight or p...
Meyer's Friarbird is entirely endemic to the island of New Guinea, spanning both the Indonesian provinces of Papua and Papua New Guinea. Its distribution is primarily confined to the central mountain ranges and associated uplands, including significant areas such as the Arfak Mountains, Weyland M...
Least Concern
- Meyer's Friarbird is named after Adolf Bernhard Meyer, a German ornithologist who described many species from Southeast Asia and Oceania. - Unlike the larger, more robust friarbirds, Meyer's possesses a more slender build and a less prominent bill casque (knob on the bill). - Its distinctive ba...