Tawny Frogmouth
Tawny Frogmouth
33-50 cm. Male larger. Most widespread frogmouth. Variable: plumage grey, mottled; marbled paler grey or brown, with dark streaks over crown, back, throat, breast and flanks; tawny shoulders; eye yellow to orange-yellow, with slight pale eyebrow; underparts paler, black marks down sides of throat/breast; tail finely banded dark/light grey. Male: darker, greyer; markings bolder, more marbled; bill longer. Female: plainer, browner, less marbled; some washed rufous. Small inland and n. race phalaenoides has large head/bill: plumage plainer, dusky grey in s. to silver-grey in n. Aust.; some females rich rufous. Birds in coastal n. Aust. c. half-size of e. coast strigoides. Pairs, family parties: roosts branch-like by day. Active at dusk: eyes large, feathers expand, sits watchfully on branches, fence posts, glides silently down like kookaburra to seize prey.
- Other name
- 'Frogmouth-Owl'; Morepork.
- Similar Species
- Papuan, Marbled Frogmouths: note range.
- Voice
- resonant, low, pulsing 'oom-oom-oom-oom', slow or rapid, difficult to locate; grunts, drums when alarmed; growls, cat-like sounds from young.
- Habitat
- forest, rainforest margins; tracks, clearings; open woodlands, timbered watercourses; mallee, mulga, myall, belar scrubs, pandanus, coastal tea-tree, banksia-scrubs, alpine woodland, roadsides, golf courses, parks, well-treed gardens.
- Breeding
- Aug.-Dec.; after rain inland.
- Nest
- flimsy, of sticks, leaves; on horizontal fork 5-10 m high; or old nest of chough, cuckoo-shrike, magpie.
- Eggs
- 2; white, rounded.
- Range & Status
- Aust., Tas., coastal islands. Nominate race: coastal e. Aust. to w. slopes of Gt Divide, n. to c. Hughenden-Cairns (Q); sw. to se. SA. Race phalaenoides: widespread across continent and islands w. of those limits, Race brachypterus northern Australia and Torres Strait. Common. Sedentary. Also s. NG.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Podargus strigoides brachypterus 2. Podargus strigoides phalaenoides 3. Podargus strigoides strigoides
