Manus friarbird

{{Short description|Species of bird}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Manus friarbird

| image = Philemon albitorques.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=Philemon albitorques |volume=2016 |page=e.T22704215A93957853 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22704215A93957853.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}

| taxon = Philemon albitorques

| authority = Sclater, PL, 1877

| synonyms =

}}

The Manus friarbird (Philemon albitorques) or white-naped friarbird, also known as the chauka ('souka' in Lele, the local language{{cite thesis|url=https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/41204/1/41204-boettger-2015-thesis.pdf|title=Topics in the grammar of Lele: A language of Manus Island, Papua New Guinea|first=Juliane|last=Boetgger|date=March 2015|type=PhD|publisher=James Cook University. College of Arts, Society and Education|volume=Appendix V|page=LXXIII}}) is a species of bird in the Honeyeater family, or Meliphagidae.{{cite web|url=https://blog.nature.org/science/2013/06/19/the-charismatic-and-elusive-birds-of-manus-island/|date=19 June 2013|title=The Charismatic and Elusive Birds of Manus Island|first=James|last=Fitzsimons|access-date=10 February 2019}} It is endemic to the Manus Province of Papua New Guinea.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}} It is also commonly found around human habitation, and possibly favoured by human settlement and the more open habitats created by people in many coastal areas.

The chauka is well known to locals on Manus Island, who speak of its ability to tell the time. It could be the most iconic honeyeater within its range in the world, as well as the loudest. Numerous stories and myths about the many abilities and duties of the chauka include alerting people to snakes in trees and informing people about a recent birth in the community.

Its significance to Manus is also reflected in its representation on the Manus provincial flag. Designer of the Manus Province flag, Luke Bulei, explained his reasons for its design in 1977: the chauka is only found in the Manus province; it heralds dawn and signals sunset; it often warns us of dangers; and lastly, it informs us of the success or otherwise of a forthcoming hunting trip. He added that NBC Radio Station had changed its name to Maus Bilong Chauka (Voice of the Chauka) several years before.{{cite web|url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/pg-ma.html|title=Manus (Papua New Guinea)|date=2009|website=Flags of the world}}

The bird was used symbolically in the film Chauka, Please Tell Us the Time, made from within the Manus Island detention centre by refugee Behrouz Boochani and filmmaker Arash Kamali Sarvestani in 2016.{{cite news|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-manus-to-london-how-two-strangers-made-a-landmark-movie-together-20170926-gyow9k.html|title=From Manus to London: how two strangers made a landmark movie together|first=Arnold|last=Zable|date=17 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210095345/https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-manus-to-london-how-two-strangers-made-a-landmark-movie-together-20170926-gyow9k.html|archive-date=10 February 2019|access-date=10 February 2019}}