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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Meliphagidae
  4. ›
  5. Philemon
  6. ›
  7. Silver-crowned Friarbird
Silver-crowned Friarbird
Photo · Gould, 1840

BirdUp · Species

Silver-crowned Friarbird

Philemon argenticeps(Gould, 1840)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Meliphagidae
Genus
Philemon

At a glance

The Silver-crowned Friarbird is a medium-sized bird, about 25–32 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
25–32 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Silver-crowned Friarbird look like?

The Silver-crowned Friarbird is a medium-sized bird, about 25–32 cm long and weighing 59–106 g.

The silver-crowned friarbird is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae.It is endemic to northern Australia, including Queensland.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
25–32 cm
Weight
59–106 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Silver-crowned Friarbird?

The Silver-crowned Friarbird is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  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 Silver-crowned Friarbird eat?

The Silver-crowned Friarbird feeds on fruit, nectar/pollen, seeds and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Silver-crowned Friarbird live in Australia?

The Silver-crowned Friarbird is endemic to Australia, recorded across 25 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning north Australia.

BreedingNorth Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Resident

5 regions recorded