Tawny frogmouth

Tawny frogmouth

Scientific name: Podargus strigoides
Situation in the wild: Common
The Jerusalem Zoo: 2 individuals at the Australian Yard.
At dawn and dusk, the Tawny Frogmouth sits camouflaged on a low horizontal branch, waiting for an insect to march below it. When it sees a tasty morsel, it silently glides down and nabs its prey in its wide, frog-like mouth.The zoo now has a pair of these unusual birds in its new Australia exhibit. Native to most of Australia, including Tasmania, the Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is often described as an owl-like bird due to its fluffy plumage and nocturnal activity, yet it is not related to owls at all. At 50-60 cm in length, the Tawny Frogmouth has an extraordinarily light skeletal frame for its size (much like an owl), weighing only 555 g. Unlike owls, however, this bird always catches its prey (primarily insects, but also small mammals, reptiles and birds) in its mouth, not its talons. Its feet are actually rather weak and lack the gripping strength of owls and other birds of prey. It feeds solely on terrestrial animals and thus does not catch its prey in flight nor transport it in order to consume it elsewhere. The Tawny Frogmouth is mostly active at dusk and dawn, rather than throughout the night hours. Some sources report that it undertakes only two bouts of feeding, unlike the owls which will search for food in the darkness. The Tawny Frogmouth is monogamous. They mate in December and the female lays 1-3 eggs some 1-3 days apart, in a nest constructed of sticks. Both the male and female take turns incubating the eggs, which take about 28-32 days to hatch. One they have emerged from their shells, the chicks will fledge some 25-30 days later. Tawny Frogmouths are seldom seen during daylight hours, as their plumage camouflages them most effectively – they are often difficult to distinguish form surrounding branches and dry leaves. At night, however, their cal is booming and unmistakable as they signal to others of their species that they are in their territory. You can search for the Tawny frogmouth at the Australian yard, at the Jerusalem Zoo, but you might have to search well!