Podargus strigoides
Description
The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) are found throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania. Tawny frogmouths can be found living in almost any habitat except dense rainforest and barren deserts. These robust birds grow to just over 50cm tall, and are typically mottled grey, with the colouration being darker on their backs and lighter underneath.
Frogmouths are nocturnal hunters and during the day they will roost in the corner of tree branches. To avoid detection, they will close their bright yellow eyes and stretch themselves out to mimic the form of a broken branch. Frogmouths are often mistakenly thought to be related to owls or birds of prey like raptors, but in reality they belong to a group of birds called nightjars.
Adaptations
- Very large eyes and an excellent sense of hearing, which help them find prey at night time
- Lays clutches of 2- 3 eggs in an extremely flimsy and poorly made nest from August to November
- When threatened, they open their beak, to flash the bright yellow lining and make loud clacking sounds.
- The design of their feathers and wings makes them capable of almost silent flight
Feeding relationships
- What I eat: Insects, mice and rats, lizards such as geckoes and frogs
- What eats me: Lace Monitors, carpet snakes, other birds of prey (Juvenile Tawny frogmouths are particularly vulnerable)
Interesting facts
Two other species of frogmouth occur in Australia – the Marbled frogmouth, restricted to rainforests, and the Papuan frogmouth of Cape York Peninsula.