Tawny Frogmouth

Podargus strigoides

Description:

" I am baby #1 (pic 1), beside me is my sibling (pic 2) and then there's my parent with an extended neck, pretending to be a broken branch (pic 3). The three of us are awaiting the night when we can feast on little creatures running through the grass. " This is a family of tawny frogmouths with their soft grey plumage broken with white spots, brown streaks and black feathers. The three were asleep until they heard my footsteps. The adult (pic 3 & 5) had an intense stare with big yellow eyes and it was very vigilant sitting beside the two dopey newborns.

Habitat:

Spotted on a eucalyptus tree in my backyard

Notes:

I am lucky to share this spotting with everyone, as a good news story, at a time when there has been so much loss of wildlife.
I heard these birds two nights ago with their "oom oom" in rapid succession. They have an uncanny ability to throw their calls- they could be sitting right above you and still sound distant. Families of frogmouths have visited us regularly but never this close to the house. They prefer to sit on dry to semi dry tree trunks with little foliage so they can camouflage themselves like tree trunks and have a vantage point low enough for spotting prey like little lizards, moths and other insects. They look like owls but are related to Nightjars. More information in the references.
Family: Podargidae

Species ID Suggestions

11 Comments

Leuba Ridgway 4 years ago

Thank you Maria.
Ashley, I am honoured as always to have any of my spottings nominated. They are back on the trees again tonight !

Maria dB 4 years ago

Really interesting spotting, Leuba! And the description of the birds is very nice as well.

AshleyT 4 years ago

Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!

Leuba Ridgway 4 years ago

Thanks Ava. All credit goes to the fluffy wide mouths of course. They are cute.

Ava T-B 4 years ago

I was going to nominate you for SOTW for these wonderful notes, but someone already has.

Leuba Ridgway 4 years ago

Thanks Neil. You're so right about the little ones not staying still - so funny ! Ours have just left their post and we probably won't see them for awhile either. They usually hang around the very back of the property... it's lovely to see or hear them now and then.

Neil Ross 4 years ago

It's funny when the littles wriggle around like a frog in a sock, but mum and dad are in the "stumping" pose. Gotta love the tawnies. Wonderful series and notes, Leuba. I haven't seen any of my tawnies since the "python hunting possum" ordeal back in Dec, 2017. The birds were in the adjacent tree, but disappeared that same evening and I haven't seen them since.