Helmeted Friarbird
Philemon buceroides
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMeliphagidae (Honeyeaters)
- GenusPhilemon (Typical Friarbirds)
- SpeciesPhilemon buceroides (Helmeted Friarbird)
About the Helmeted Friarbird
The helmeted friarbird (Philemon buceroides) is part of the Meliphagidae family. The helmeted friarbird, along with all their subspecies, is commonly referred to as "leatherhead" by the birding community. The helmeted friarbird was formally described in 1838 by the English zoologist William Swainson under the binomial name Philedon buceroides. The specific epithet combines the genus Buceros that was introduced in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus for the hornbills with the Ancient Greek -οιδης/-oidēs meaning "resembling". Swainson believed that his specimen had come from Australia (New Holland) but this was an error and in 1916 the Austrian ornithologist Carl Eduard Hellmayr designated the island of Timor as the type locality. The helmeted friarbird is now one of 17 friarbirds placed in the genus Philemon that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot.
Ten subspecies are recognised: P. b. jobiensis (Meyer, AB, 1874) – Yapen (Geelvink Bay islands, northwest New Guinea) and north New Guinea P. b. novaeguineae (Müller, S, 1842) – Raja Ampat Islands (northwest of New Guinea), Bird south Head (northwest New Guinea) and south, southeast New Guinea (New Guinea... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Komodo National Park
Brown Honeyeater
Lichmera indistincta
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Black-naped Oriole
Oriolus chinensis
Pacific Swallow
Hirundo javanica
Eastern Red-rumped Swallow
Cecropis daurica
Flame-breasted Sunbird
Cinnyris solaris
Black-naped Monarch
Hypothymis azurea
Wallacean Drongo
Dicrurus densus
Yellow-bellied White-eye
Zosterops chloris
Artamus leucorhynchos
Artamus leucorhynchos
Pied Bushchat
Saxicola caprata
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Helmeted Friarbird in Komodo National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Helmeted Friarbird sighting in Komodo National Park, based on 157 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Helmeted Friarbird in Komodo National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Helmeted Friarbird in Komodo National Park in our monthly data.