Eyes Wide Open

A very rare sight in daylight as this is a nocturnal bird - the tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)

We went into the Belair NP today for a walk with Mish, and once we had done our tour around the lake we drove up to Pines Oval where you can always be sure of seeing these lovely birds.  There are four of them there, all in the same tree.  I suppose it's Mum and Dad, and a couple of youngsters.

Honestly if you didn't know they were there you'd never spot them.  They look like logs of wood with their extraordinary marked plumage.

Happy Australia Day - enjoy the Holiday.

Here's some info on the bird in case you haven't caught up with them in my journal before. (Adapted from the website of Birds in Backyards)


The general plumage of the Tawny Frogmouth is silver-grey, slightly paler below, streaked and mottled with black and rufous. A second plumage phase also occurs, with birds being russet-red. The eye is yellow in both forms, and the wide, heavy bill is olive-grey to blackish. South-eastern birds are larger than birds from the north. Tawny Frogmouths are nocturnal birds (night birds). During the day, they perch on tree branches, often low down, camouflaged as part of the tree.

With their nocturnal habit and owl-like appearance, Tawny Frogmouths are often confused with owls, but are actually more closely related to the nightjars. Their feet are weak however, and lack the curved talons of owls.
 
The bulk of the Tawny Frogmouth's diet is made up of nocturnal insects, worms, slugs and snails. Small mammals, reptiles, frogs and birds are also eaten. Most food is obtained by pouncing to the ground from a tree or other elevated perch. Some prey items, such as moths, are caught in flight

Tawny Frogmouths have a regular breeding season, but birds in more arid areas may breed in response to heavy rains. Both sexes incubate the eggs. The male sits during the day, but both sexes share sitting at night. The nest is a loose platform of sticks, which is usually placed on a horizontal forked tree branch. Normally only one brood is raised in a season, but birds from the south may have two.