
Australasian Figbird
Sphecotheres vieilloti
Also known as: Australian Figbird
About This Species
This figbird inhabits rainforest edges, mangroves, and leafy suburban trees along Australia's northeastern coast, typically foraging in small noisy groups on figs and other soft fruit high in the canopy. Males show a distinctive olive body with a bare red eye patch, while females are duller and streaked below. Fruiting fig trees during the warmer months are the most reliable spot, as groups will return repeatedly to a productive tree over several days.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Viewing from beneath or beside a fruiting tree at a comfortable distance is generally sufficient, since these birds are often habituated to people in urban parks and gardens.
- Native species protections under Australian law cover this bird, and nests in particular should not be approached closely.
- Avoiding loud noises or attempts to flush the flock lets natural feeding behavior continue undisturbed.
LCAvesPasseriformesOriolidae
Seasonal Activity
398,801 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Oriolidae
Photo
(c) anastol, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.