Tawny Frogmouths chilling out
I had a real treat today: I spotted three Tawny Frogmouths, and they were in a reasonable accessible place for photography.
Tawny Frogmouths are odd, appealing birds. They’re related to nightjars, and look a bit like owls. What makes them special is their very wide beaks. When a Tawny Frogmouth opens his mouth, it looks as if his head has split in half!
Being night birds, they sleep during the day. Their camouflage is amazing. With their grey dappled, striped feathers, they look just like bits of old wood. They take advantage of this fact by arranging themselves artistically on old tree trunks. Spot the three birds in this photo:
Common name: Tawny Frogmouth
Scientific name: Podargus strigoides
Approximate length: 34-52 cm
Date spotted: 15 December 2013
Season: Summer
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: -33.778347,151.249715
Bird number 1 is the star of the show, chilling out at the front of the trio. Here are some close-ups:
I love the stylish tufts above the beak!
From another angle:
Bird number 2 is on the right in the back row of the trio. I think this one was the designated sentry. Half awake:
Photographer spotted, both eyes wide open:
This is bird number 3, on the left in the back row of the trio, all fluffed up and cute. Perhaps a juvenile:
Posted on 2013/12/15, in Birds, Frogmouth and tagged birds, birdwatching, Sydney birds, Tawny Frogmouths. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
Sydney Birder 
Oh, what a difference a space makes… first mental image to the word “nightjar” wasn’t very appealing, but it turns out I was thinking of a “night jar”.
Nice owl-tography though 🙂
Thanks Jerry… I think. 😉 I’d never heard of a “night jar” before, and now the mental image is threatening to haunt me, even though I’m still not sure what it is. But that’s not an invitation for anyone to tell me via a comment on this post. I think I’d probably rather remain in blissful ignorance!
Knowledge is Power! 😉