Off the beaten track for a day, I was delighted to see a Noisy Friarbird. Even more delightful was the fact that the bird was one of two taking turns to look after a nest:

The video shows one of the birds on the nest. It looks like there might be a youngster already hatched, because the bird seems to be passing something down into the nest (food?) and taking something else out (excrement?). At the end of the video, I panned out to show the lovely setting that the birds have chosen for their nest. It’s above Coxs River, with high trees and flowing water all round.

This is the first time I’ve seen a Noisy Friarbird. Indeed, it’s only the second friarbird that I’ve ever seen — the first was a Helmeted Friarbird up in North Queensland.

The nest is quite large and deep. It’s made of leaves, bark, and grass. Evidently the birds bind it together with spiderweb. Here’s a picture of one of the two birds sitting on the nest:

Noisy Friarbirds have a distinctive, slightly scary head: it’s bare of feathers, so that it looks a bit like a long black skull. Then there’s the large beak, with a knob on top. Not the prettiest of faces. The rest of the bird is quite pretty though, with creamy dappled white feathers below and soft browns and greys above, finished off with a white-tipped tail.

A few times, the birds would dive down steeply and fly horizontally just above the water. I think they were probably grabbing dragonflies and other insects as a tasty morsel:

This bird has something in its beak:

Common name: Noisy Friarbird
Scientific name: Philemon corniculatus
Approximate length: 30-35 cm
Date spotted: 23 December 2022 (summer)
Location: Coxs River Campground, Ganbenang, New South Wales, Australia: 33°44’35.1″S 150°10’45.1″E

Coxs River Campground is accessible only by four wheel drive. It’s a beautiful, restful spot, though it can get quite busy at times: