Now you see me, now you don’t! A master of disguise, the tawny frogmouth gets its name from a distinctive beak, which is large and wide.

Their plumage is a clever pattern of mottled grey, white, black and rufous, which mimics dead tree branches, allowing them to blend into their surroundings.

With big yellow eyes, the tawny frogmouth has extremely soft feathers which enable them to fly silently. Stiff bristles surround their beak and these ‘whiskers’ may help detect the movement of flying insects.

Tawny Frogmouths are found across Australia in a wide variety of habitats including rainforest margins, alpine woodlands, parks and gardens.

Tawny frogmouths are not owls- they do not have the powerful talons found on owls- instead, they have dainty feet- for this reason, they hunt their prey with their beaks. They are most closely related to nightjars.

Tawny Frogmouths frequently eat a range of prey animals from small prey like insects, snails and slugs to frogs, reptiles, small birds and mammals.

Interesting Fact

Tawny Frogmouths pair together and often stay in the same territory together for over a decade!