Helmeted Friarbird

1. Bare dark grey facial skin with bright red eyes.

2. Heavy black bill with a rounded casque at the base.

3. Silvery crown and pale, streaked underparts.

Helmeted Friarbirds are omnivorous, feeding mainly on nectar, fruit, seeds, and insects, often foraging in the canopy and sometimes descending to lower levels. They are highly vocal, with loud, repeated squawks and calls such as "keeyo-keoway" or "kowee ko keeyo," especially in the morning or during storms. Breeding occurs mainly from September to February, with nests built high in trees, often near water. Both parents care for the young, which are fed for several weeks after fledging. These birds are known to be assertive, often defending feeding territories from other birds.

Helmeted Friarbirds are found in open forests, woodlands, mangroves, gallery forests, vine thickets, and increasingly in urban parks and gardens. In Queensland, they are common in eucalypt and paperbark habitats, while in the Northern Territory, the "Sandstone" subspecies prefers inland sandstone areas, and coastal subspecies inhabit mangroves and monsoon forests. They are often most active and vocal at dawn, making them easier to locate by their calls.

The Helmeted Friarbird is native to Australia and Indonesia. In Indonesia, it is known as "Cucak Timor" and serves as the mascot for Mataram City. In Australian Aboriginal mythology, friarbirds are featured in flood legends, where they are among the birds saved during great floods, symbolizing their longstanding presence in the region.