Tawny frogmouth

Description:

Podargus strigoides is a species of frogmouth native to Australia that is found throughout the Australian mainland and Tasmania. The Tawny frogmouth is sometimes incorrectly referred to as “mopoke”, a common name for the southern boobook whose call is often confused for the Tawny frogmouth's.Tawny frogmouths are large, big-headed birds that are 34 – 53 cm long and can weigh up to 670 g.They are stocky and compact with rounded wings and short legs. They have wide, heavy olive-grey to blackish bills that are hooked at the tip and topped with distinctive tufts of bristles. Their eyes are large, yellow, and frontally placed, a trait shared by owls. Tawny frogmouths have three distinct colour morphs, grey being the most common in both sexes. Males of this morph have silver-grey upperparts with black streaks and slightly paler underparts with white barring and brown to rufous mottling. Females of this morph are often darker with more rufous mottling. Females of the subspecies strigoides have a chestnut morph and females of the subspecies phalaenoides have a rufous morph. Leucistic or albinistic all-white aberrant plumage for this species has been documented. One of the best examples of cryptic plumage and mimicry in Australian birds is seen in the tawny frogmouth who perch low on tree branches during the day camouflaged as part of the tree. Their silvery-grey plumage patterned with white, black, and brown streaks and mottles allows them to freeze into the form of a broken tree branch and become practically invisible in broad daylight. The tawny frogmouth will often choose a broken part of a tree branch and perch upon it with its head thrust upwards at an acute angle using its very large, broad beak to emphasise the resemblance. Often a pair will sit together and point their heads upwards, only breaking cover if approached closely to take flight or warn off predators. When threatened, adult tawny frogmouths will make an alarm call that signals to chicks to remain silent and immobile ensuring that the natural camouflage provided by the plumage is not broken.

Habitat:

Tawny frogmouths are a widespread species found throughout most of the Australian mainland except in far western Queensland, the central Northern Territory, and most of the Nullabor Plain. In Tasmania, they are common throughout the northern and eastern parts of the state. Tawny frogmouths can be found in almost any habitat type including forests and woodlands, scrub and heathland vegetation, and savannahs. However, they do not occur in heavy rainforests and treeless deserts. They are seen in large numbers in areas that are populated with many river gums and casuarinas and can be found along river courses if these areas are timbered. Tawny frogmouths are common in suburbs, having adapted to human presence. They have been reported nesting in parks and gardens with trees.

Notes:

Spotted at Wategos Beach, Australia.