Wild Bird Wednesday 700 - Tawny Frogmouth

The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is native to Australian and can be found throughout much of the country.  They can be found in almost any habitat type, including forests and woodlands, scrub and heathland vegetation. 

It is a big-headed, stocky bird which is often mistaken for an owl due to its nocturnal habits and similar colouring. However, it is more closely related to birds such as true nightjars.  They can measure from 34 to 53 cm long, but they are rather variable in size.

Tawny Frogmouths makes use of cryptic plumage and mimicry to camouflage themselves. They strategically perch on low tree branches during daylight hours, often being sitting very close to the tree itself.  They often strike a 'head up' pose with the beak inclined upwards at a distinctive angle.  To further increase the quality of their camouflage they often choose to perch on branches that have broken sections - where their combination of plumage and stance can make them very hard to see.

These three birds were sitting on a low branch near Glenrowan in North East Victoria.  Sal found the birds first and momentarily forgetting their names said 'There are three of those birds that pretend to be trees here!'. I suspect that this may become their standard name in our family!

These are just remarkable birds.

I suspect they would make good Christmas tree decorations - although I suppose they may be a little too hard to notice!  Best wishes for the next few days.

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