Range

Australia is the native home of the tawny frogmouth. They are found across the mainland and in Tasmania. Western Queensland, the Nullarbor Plain and the central Northern Territory are the only areas where they are absent.

Habitat

This means they live in a wide number of habitats such as alpine woodland, timbered watercourses, woodlands, rainforest margins, eucalypt forest, coastal tea tree, savanna and alpine woodland. Most of these areas host a number of casuarina and river gum trees which is their favoured habitat. They will also commonly nest in parks and gardens.

Reproduction

A pair of tawny frogmouths remain together for life. They will maintain a territory together for over a decade. Breeding occurs between August and December in most areas though in arid areas it occurs in response to heavy rains. At this time the pair roost close together and the male gently grooms the plumage of the female with his beak.

The pair work together to collect twigs and leaves that they use to form a nest. This will be placed on a horizontal fork in a tree. Grass stems are used to soften the centre.

A clutch of one to three eggs is deposited into the nest by the female. During the day the male sits on them and then over night the female will assist him. They only leave rarely over this period. One partner supplies food to the other who is sitting on the eggs.

Both parents work to provide food to the chicks. In November they will begin to fly and by December their parents are sending them out on their own.

Sexual maturity is achieved at 1 year old for tawny frogmouths.

Behavior

Tawny frogmouths are not active for most of the day. Their day is spent on a branch aiming to look like a tree. They will almost never move out of this position. This means they are a nocturnal species. Most of their activity is catching bugs but they won’t generally move to catch these instead preferring to sit and wait. There has been an increase in activity with the increase in artificial lighting which attracts insects.

Some of their vocalisations included a whoo-whoo noise, oom-oom sound, a loud hiss or a clacking noise made with their beak.

In winter tawny frogmouths will enter torpor. This is where they slow their heart rate and metabolism which lowers their body temperature and conserves energy. They may do this in short bursts during the day and only drop their temperature by 0.5oC or in long bursts overnight lasting many hours and dropping the temperature by 10oC.

Quick facts

Other names for the tawny frogmouth include freckled frogmouth or mopoke. The latter is shared with the boobook owl which has a similar call to the tawny frogmouth.

Tawny frogmouths are regularly mistaken for owls which they are not. They are in fact nightjars.

Behavior

Tawny frogmouths are not active for most of the day. Their day is spent on a branch aiming to look like a tree. They will almost never move out of this position. This means they are a nocturnal species. Most of their activity is catching bugs but they won’t generally move to catch these instead preferring to sit and wait. There has been an increase in activity with the increase in artificial lighting which attracts insects.

Some of their vocalisations included a whoo-whoo noise, oom-oom sound, a loud hiss or a clacking noise made with their beak.

In winter tawny frogmouths will enter torpor. This is where they slow their heart rate and metabolism which lowers their body temperature and conserves energy. They may do this in short bursts during the day and only drop their temperature by 0.5oC or in long bursts overnight lasting many hours and dropping the temperature by 10oC.

Quick facts

Other names for the tawny frogmouth include freckled frogmouth or mopoke. The latter is shared with the boobook owl which has a similar call to the tawny frogmouth.

Tawny frogmouths are regularly mistaken for owls which they are not. They are in fact nightjars.