Brass's Friarbird Philemon brassi Scientific name definitions

21–22 cm. Small, rather slender friarbird, with long, heavy and slightly decurved bill with no protuberance at base. Plumage is largely plain dark olive-brown above, slightly darker, blackish-brown, on remiges and rectrices, with extensive area of largely bare slate-grey to blackish-grey skin on forehead, supercilium, lores and around eye, flecked with small, sparse, varyingly grey and white feathering on lores and around eye; crown, nape, ear-coverts and malar region dark grey, flecked with white; chin and upper throat conspicuously white, and feathers of upper breast dark grey, finely spotted or flecked with white; underbody pale grey, slightly darker on breast and tinged brown on thighs; underwing dull off-white with dark trailing edge and tip; plumage becomes much paler, greyish-brown, with wear; iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark grey to blue-grey. Sexes alike in plumage, male slightly larger than female. Juvenile is like adult, but with rufous tinge on top of head and mantle, back and scapulars, conspicuous olive outer edges on remiges, olive edges on rectrices (lost with wear), and more brownish breast; immature like adult but retains juvenile remiges and rectrices, and probably some or all upperwing-coverts, also has white tips on otherwise dark scapulars, back and rump, less obvious spotting on throat, and sometimes yellowish tinge on lower throat or upper breast (possibly varying between sexes).

Upper Mamberamo Basin (Idenburg R, lower Mamberamo R, probably also Rouffaer R) and Wapoga Basin (Tirawiwa R and Logari R), in W New Guinea.

On Idenburg R, common in flooded canegrass and dense riparian secondary growth around a lagoon; on Tirawiwa and Logari rivers, locally common in vegetation along river edge and in disturbed areas, and over (but not in) canegrass. Recorded at c. 50 m and at 80–275 m.

Presumably sedentary.

Nectar, fruit and insects; one fed low down in flowering Elaeocarpus overhanging river. Not so noisy or pugnacious as P. buceroides. On Idenburg R, commonly in small parties of about twelve individuals; seen to congregate with other nectarivorous birds in flowering trees.

Noisy; only vocalization described is an upslurred call note typical of genus.

Male with enlarged gonads in Mar. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restrictedrange species: present in North Papuan Lowlands EBA. One of least known of New Guinean birds. No estimates of population. Found to be common at two sites in recent surveys (1998) in Wapoga Basin, though not recorded in recent surveys (2000) on Mamberamo R. Appears secure at present, with much lowland forest of Mamberamo R and Idenburg R within Foja Nature Reserve, and the region is largely inaccessible and undisturbed. Potentially threatened, however, by timber-harvesting and agricultural schemes, and a proposed dam on the Mamberamo Gorge.