Hmm... I always expected that circular breathing would be easier on a digeridoo -- maybe because the bore is so much wider than a brass mouthpiece?
Anyway, my friend Josh Sinton, a great multi-woodwind player, first learned to circular breathe on digeridoos. It was only after he had mastered the technique on the digeridoo that he was able to transfer the skill to his other woodwinds. He still tends to do it more on the lower instruments (bari sax and bass clarinet) -- I don't know if that's because it's easier on those instruments or just because he feels like doing it more often when he's playing the low winds.
In my experience, there are two conflicting properties at work: your mouth has to be relaxed enough to hold the extra air and squeeze it out while you breathe in, and you have to have enough resistance to keep all the air from rushing out in one puff. Trombone in the upper register is very difficult because of the first reason, your cheeks and surrounding muscles are too tight to puff out and give you any reservoir. Tuba in the low register and digeridoo are difficult for the second reason, there is very little resistance and you run out of air before you have had a chance to inhale. I can't imagine flute at all, it must be as hard as the didge; oboe needs a lot of muscle like the trumpet, whereas sax, clarinet, etc, must be the easiest, like trombone.
As regards your friend, he must have perfected the technique on didge first, then it was a snap to transfer it to woodwinds. He probably needs the technique more on the bari and bass clarinet. A bassonist (playing a Bach cello suite) once told me that the problem was not conserving the air, the problem was getting rid of it and getting some fresh air in before he passed out! Not a problem on the tuba!
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