Birds · Podargiformes · Podargidae

Tawny Frogmouth

Podargus strigoides

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The tawny frogmouth — known in Spanish as boca de rana gris or podargo australiano — is a nocturnal bird with a broad, flattened bill and plumage marbled in greys and browns. By day it perches on a branch, stretches its neck upwards, closes its eyes and becomes an extension of the wood, indistinguishable even at close range. At night it hunts large insects, mice and reptiles from a perch. It is very common in Australian gardens and even so hardly anyone sees it.

Weight

157 g – 680 g

Size

34 cm – 53 cm

Lifespan

14 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestGrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal In pairs Bird Rainforest Temperate forest Grassland

3countries 51parks

Fun facts

defensaBy day it stays perfectly still, passing for a broken branch, as camouflage against predators.
Its daytime camouflage is extraordinary: it adopts a stiff, upright posture that turns it into a broken branch, and in the photographs shared around Australia the bird has to be pointed out because it cannot be made out.
It is not an owl, however much it looks like one: it belongs to the order Caprimulgiformes, and its broad, fragile bill is no good for tearing like a raptor's, but for swallowing insects whole.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Eucalypt woodland, scrub, parks and gardens across almost all of Australia and southern New Guinea
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 30 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/