Tawny Frogmouth

Podargus strigoides

Diet

Eats large insects and other invertebrates, including scorpions, spiders, and centipedes. It will sometimes eat small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

Habitat

Eucalyptus and acacia forests throughout Australia. Also found along coastal scrub, tree-lined roadsides, and large gardens with trees.

Nesting

Lays 1-3 eggs in a loose, and often flimsy, platform nest of sticks and twigs. Incubation is 28-32 days. The male incubates during the day and it’s believed the female incubates at night. Chicks fledge 25-35 days after hatching.

Did you know?

When disturbed, tawny frogmouths stiffen their body and close their eyes to resemble a branch. This behavior is called “stumping”.