Australasian Figbird

27-30 cm. Three Aust. races: males differ, females similar. Races flaviventris and ashbyi 'Yellow Figbird' (tropical n. Aust): male: bright yellow throat/breast; white underparts. Races vieilloti and ashbyi 'Green Figbird' (coastal e. Aust.); male: throat/upperbreast/collar mid-grey; flanks green; underparts white. Races interbreed freely in broad zone between c. Normanton/Proserpine (Q). Note male's black head/cheeks, patch of bare red skin around eye, olive-green upperparts and black tail with prominent white edges/corners. Female: bill dark brown; upperparts dull brown with bare grey-brown skin around eye; underparts whitish, heavily streaked dark brown, so heavily on throat as to appear dark brown. Immature: pale scallops on wing feathers; young males show shadowy adult markings. Pairs, parties; flocks of 10-c.50+: forages in foliage, mostly on fruits, incl. introduced camphor laurel; acrobatic, flutters, hangs head down; often noticed by call. Associates with other fruit-eaters, e.g. orioles; raids garden fruit. Perches overhead wires; flocks trail over rainforest, cross cleared country to fruiting trees. Flight undulating; note prominent white corners to black tail.