Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)
Tawny Frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouth

Podargus strigoides

The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is a species of bird native to Australia, including Tasmania, and is often mistaken for an owl due to its nocturnal habits and similar coloring. This stocky bird is characterized by its large head, rounded wings, and short legs. It has a wide, heavy bill, olive-grey to blackish in color, hooked at the tip and adorned with bristles. The eyes are large and yellow, but unlike owls, they are not forward-facing.

Identification Tips

Adult Tawny Frogmouths can range from 34 to 53 cm in length and weigh up to 680 grams, though average weights are lower. They exhibit three color morphs: grey, rufous, and occasionally leucistic or albinistic. The grey morph is most common, with males displaying silver-grey upperparts with black streaks and paler underparts, while females may be darker with more rufous mottling.

Habitat

Tawny Frogmouths inhabit a variety of environments, including forests, woodlands, scrublands, heathlands, and savannahs. They are adaptable to human presence and can be found in suburban parks and gardens.

Distribution

This species is widespread across the Australian mainland and Tasmania, except for certain arid regions. They are particularly common in areas with river gums and casuarinas.

Behaviour

Tawny Frogmouths are known for their effective camouflage, often perching motionless on tree branches during the day, resembling broken branches. They are carnivorous, feeding on a variety of insects and small vertebrates. These birds are also known for their lifelong partnerships, with pairs often roosting closely together.

Song & Calls

Their vocal repertoire includes a deep "oom-oom-oom" grunting at night and a soft "whoo-whoo-whoo" call. They also emit a soft warning buzz and a loud hissing noise when threatened.

Breeding

Breeding season occurs from August to December, with nests built on horizontal tree branches. Both sexes share in incubation duties, and once hatched, both parents feed the young.

Similar Species

While similar in appearance to owls, Tawny Frogmouths differ in their weaker feet, lack of a face disc, and side-facing eyes. They also lack the powerful talons and flexible toe joints that owls use for hunting.

Diet and Feeding

Their diet primarily consists of nocturnal insects and pests, making them natural pest controllers. They pounce from perches to catch prey on the ground or in flight.

Conservation status

The Tawny Frogmouth is classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN. However, they face threats from predation, habitat destruction, and human impacts such as vehicle collisions and poisoning from pesticides and rodenticides.

Tawny Frogmouth Sounds


Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Tawny Frogmouth Fun Facts

Did you know?
Tawny Frogmouths perch upright, close their eyes, and elongate their bodies to resemble a broken tree branch for camouflage.

Tawny Frogmouths on Birda

Sightings

More Frogmouths

A photo of a Hodgson's Frogmouth (Batrachostomus hodgsoni) , male

Hodgson's Frogmouth

Batrachostomus hodgsoni
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
Pdydhdrexgi
Fantastic App
This is a really lovely app, for everyone interested in birds - from newbies to old hands. There is a very friendly feel to the community and you will genuinely learn a lot as you record your sightings and photos. There are lots of badges and competitions to keep you engaged, and a host of really useful features.
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Talli A
My favourite app
As a young birdwatcher who was always keen to be apart of a community but never seemed to find one, my problem was solved downloading this!!! Everyone is so friendly and just as excited to see birds as me 😁
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.