NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
New Caledonian Friarbird
Philemon diemenensis (R. Lesson, 1831)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The New Caledonian friarbird (Philemon diemenensis) is a species of bird in the honeyeater family Meliphagidae. The New Caledonian friarbird is a large honeyeater, measuring 27 to 32 cm (11–13 in). Males are slightly heavier than females on average, 69–84 g (2.4–3.0 oz) in contrast to 53–62 g (1.9–2.2 oz). The New Caledonian friarbird is endemic to New Caledonia, where it is found on Grande Terre, Île des Pins and the Loyalty Islands. On these islands it is found in native forests and open country, and will also frequent disturbed habitat and human modified habitats such as gardens. The diet of the New Caledonian friarbird is composed of nectar, insects and fruits. Insects may be taken on the wing, and larger prey items brought back to a branch to be battered before eating. Like other honeyeaters, it is an aggressive and bold species that will chase other species of birds including birds of prey, parrots and crows. Little is known about their breeding behavior.
Wikipedia contributors, New Caledonian friarbird; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:48:48.034591+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Philemon diemenensis (R. Lesson, 1831)
- Name authority
- (R. Lesson, 1831)
- Common name
- New Caledonian Friarbird
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Meliphagidae
- Genus
- Philemon
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyMeliphagidae
- genusPhilemon Vieillot, 1816
- speciesPhilemon diemenensis (R. Lesson, 1831)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Philemon. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Helmeted FriarbirdPhilemon buceroides (Swainson, 1838) | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Little FriarbirdPhilemon citreogularis (Gould, 1837) | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| New Britain FriarbirdPhilemon cockerelli P. L. Sclater, 1877 | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Noisy FriarbirdPhilemon corniculatus (Latham, 1790) | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| New Ireland FriarbirdPhilemon eichhorni Rothschild & E. Hartert, 1924 | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Timor FriarbirdPhilemon inornatus (G. R. Gray, 1846) | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-faced FriarbirdPhilemon moluccensis (J. F. Gmelin, 1788) | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Meyer's FriarbirdPhilemon meyeri Salvadori, 1878 | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hornbill FriarbirdPhilemon yorki Mathews, 1912 | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Manus FriarbirdPhilemon albitorques P. L. Sclater, 1877 | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Silver-crowned FriarbirdPhilemon argenticeps (Gould, 1840) | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Brass's FriarbirdPhilemon brassi Rand, 1940 | MeliphagidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Tropidorhynchus diemenensis R. Lesson, 1831 R. Lesson, 1831 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=561989 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4G5RP. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.