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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Monarchidae
  4. ›
  5. Arses
  6. ›
  7. Frilled Monarch
Frilled Monarch
Photo · John Gould / William Matthew Hart

BirdUp · Species

Frilled Monarch

Arses telescophthalmus(Lesson, RP & Garnot, 1827)

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Monarchidae
Genus
Arses

At a glance

The Frilled Monarch is a small bird, about 15 cm long, listed as Least Concern and native to Australia. It is best seen in winter.

Size
15 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Native
Best seen
Winter
Commonness
Local
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Frilled Monarch look like?

The Frilled Monarch is a small bird, about 15 cm long and weighing 12–15 g.

The frilled monarch is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. As currently defined, its range is restricted to forest on New Guinea and nearby smaller islands, but historically it has included some or all of the remaining members of the genus Arses as subspecies.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
15 cm
Weight
12–15 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Frilled Monarch?

The Frilled Monarch is recorded across its Australian range mainly in January, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Frilled Monarch eat?

The Frilled Monarch feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

3 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Frilled Monarch live in Australia?

The Frilled Monarch is native to Australia, recorded across 3 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNew Guinea region and Boigu (Torres Strait is., north-east QLD, far north-east Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Breeding

2 regions recorded