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13

Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) Alternate name(s): "Tawny-shouldered Frogmouth", "Tawny-shouldered Podargus", "Mopoke*" Aboriginal name(s): "munnarn", "bingami", "coorameet", "moonyie" Race "strigoides": "buluurr" [yuwaalaraay]; "mumbir mumbir", "junir-junir" [bundjalung] Race "brachypterus": "kambekor", "kambyne" (WA) Size: 34-52 cm Weight: 125-550 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Tawny Frogmouths are medium-sized to large nocturnal predators. Their most prominent feature is a massive bill (unlike those of owls), with a tuft of feathers on the frons. Their plumage is highly cryptic. Most are silvery-grey, with darker grey streaks. The back is darker than the front. Male Tawny Frogmouths are all-grey, without any rufous or brown hues. Female Tawny Frogmouths have a (rather inconspicuous) long brown malar stripe on their cheeks. Some females have a rufous morphology, rather than grey. The eyes of both sexes are large, with yellow irises. The bill is grey; the legs and feet are also grey. Juvenile Tawny Frogmouths have streaking on the sides of the breast, but otherwise resemble adult birds. Nestlings are first fluffy white, later fluffy grey. Twitcher's tip Compared with Papuan Frogmouths, Tawny Frogmouths are much smaller (especially race "phalaenoides" found in the northern tropics). Tawny Frogmouths also don't snap their bills or make any hissing sounds.

Taxonomy, classification See Tawny Frogmouth at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information NB: Although commonly referred to as "owls", frogmouths are NOT owls. They are more closely related to the nightjars, as indicated by the shape of their heads and the eyes.

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Tawny Frogmouth is available HERE . There are three races of Tawny Frogmouths, all of which are endemic to Australia. Together they populate almost the entire Australian continent, Tasmania and a few smaller offshore islands. They are only rarely found in the great sandy deserts of eastern WA and they avoid entirely the Nullarbor. In the far tropical North, from the Kimberley in WA via the entire Top End of the NT, South of the Gulf of Carpentaria and all of Cape York peninsula, down to Cairns, QLD, one finds race "phalaenoides". Nominate race "strigoides" populates the eastern seaboard of Australia, the hills of the Great Dividing Range southward of Cairns, QLD, and the semi-arid inland of NSW, to about Bourke, NSW, and the upper Murray River. Farther inland, in western QLD and NSW, all of SA and the rest of the continent southward of the tropic of Capricorn, race brachypterus" is found. Tawny Frogmouths are usually found in open woodland, often also on farms and in gardens and in the shelter of awnings and sheds.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "strigoides" Sightings of Tawny Frogmouths, race "strigoides", were few and far between from 2003 to 2006, when we just started bird-watching. Once we knew where to look, they were found regularly in inland NSW. Tawny Frogmouths, race "strigoides", were spotted by us 20 km West of Narrabri, NSW, in 2004 and at the farm where we lived until late 2006, 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, in April 2006, when we found them nesting in nearby open woodland. From the winter of 2008 onwards a Tawny Frogmouth, race "strigoides", was seen regularly at our place at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri, hunting from fenceposts and low tree branches. This particular specimen was quite tall, maybe 50 cm, and obviously a male. Its low-pitched, repetitive calls were intended to attract a female to its lair. A male was again seen during the 2010 mating season, after its low-pitched "whoop-whoop" calls had been heard from indoors. Since then the species is found at the same location semi-regularly. A pair of Tawny Frogmouths, race "strigoides", was found nesting right next to a house and roadside near Narrabri Lake in the 2010/11 and subsequent seasons until their nesting tree was removed. L. Tonnochy reports spotting Tawny Frogmouths, race "strigoides", 20 km West of Townsville, QLD. Tawny Frogmouths, race "strigoides", are found occasionally by R. Plumtree in East Gippsland, VIC. E. Scott reports spotting Tawny Frogmouths, race "strigoides", occasionally at Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW. M. Eaton reports spotting Tawny Frogmouths, race "strigoides", occasionally in various locations in eastern QLD, from near the border with NSW to Mackay, QLD. V. Collins reports finding Tawny Frogmouths, race "strigoides", nesting at Lake Hume Tourist Park, near Albury Wodonga, NSW/VIC, in October 2019. Race "brachypterus" G. Mobilia reports observing a nesting Tawny Frogmouth, race "brachypterus", with its offspring at Bullsbrook, WA, about 30 km North of Perth, in January 2013. C. Pears found a pair of Tawny Frogmouths, race "brachypterus", at Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, in July 2022. Race "phalaenoides" J. Greaves reports spotting a Tawny Frogmouth, race "phalaenoides", on Groote Eylandt, NT, in August 2014. B. Hensen reports spotting Tawny Frogmouths, race "phalaenoides", on various occasions (July 2011, June 2014, January 2016) at Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT. P. Brown reports regular sightings at the same location. P. Brown reports finding Tawny Frogmouths, race "phalaenoides", at Keep River NP, NT, in November 2018, where they were found to be nesting at the time. Another pair was found at Litchfield NP, NT, in April 2021. M. Eaton found a Tawny Frogmouth, race "phalaenoides", at Gubara, Kakadu NP, NT, in July 2020. K. Ohlsen reports Tawny Frogmouths, race "phalaenoides", rearing two young at Acacia Hills, NT, in the timeframe July-October 2020.

Photos

Race "strigoides"

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ADULT

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male Tawny Frogmouth looking sideways - note the absence of any rufous hues
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead, QLD, September 2022]

Close-up frontal view of a male Tawny Frogmouth looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2023]

Near-frontal view of a male Tawny Frogmouth looking sideways
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]

Close-up lateral view of a male Tawny Frogmouth looking towards the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2023]

Close-up lateral portrait of a male Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2023]

Lateral view of a male(?) Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2019]

FEMALE

Grey morphology

Close-up frontal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]

Close-up frontal portrait of a female Tawny Frogmouth looking sideways; note the characteristic rufous malar stripe
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]

Close-up near-lateral portrait of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]

Near-lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]

Near-lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2020]

Close-up lateral portrait of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]

Close-up lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]

Neighbours on a roost eye-balling each other: female Tawny Frogmouth (right) and Red-rumped Parrot (left)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2013]

PAIR

Frontal/ventral view of a male Tawny Frogmouth, with its partner seen on the left (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, March 2018]

Pair of Tawny Frogmouths roosting during the daytime; male on the left, female (with some rufous hues, in particular the characterisitic malar stripe behind the bill) on the right
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2012]

Here the female Tawny Frogmouth is seen preening, while the male remains in its hunched posture
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2012]

Sex unknown

This photo shows how extraordinarily wide a Tawny Frogmouth's bill is (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lamington NP, QLD, February 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral portrait of a juvenile Tawny Frogmouth

Their rufous colours suggest that this is mom Tawny Frogmouth with a female fledgling (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)

Note how, in different light conditions, they can look much greyer (although there are still visible rufous hues); if one did not know for sure that these are the same birds, one might not want to believe it - here it is clear because of the identical setup of the two photos (photo courtesy of L. Tonnochy)

Do you want to know what it is like to look a Tawny Frogmouth in the eyes at night? If yes, click HERE!

Race "brachypterus"

ADULT

FEMALE

Lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth on its roost; note the obvious rufous streaks (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth, now checking out the observer (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2022]

PAIR

Dorsal view of a pair of Tawny Frogmouths, male at lower right (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2022]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Female(?) Tawny Frogmouth on its nest with a chick (photo courtesy of G. Mobilia)
[Bullsbrook, WA, January 2013]

Race "phalaenoides"

ADULT

MALE

Pair of Tawny Frogmouths; male above and rufous-morphology female at the bottom (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2011]

Near-dorsal view of a male Tawny Frogmouth with chick (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, January 2016]

Dorsal view of a male Tawny Frogmouth with chick (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, January 2016]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal portrait of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth - note the rufous malar stripe and chin
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Close-up near-frontal portrait of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth - note the rufous malar stripe and chin
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2018]

Frontal view of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth - with the sun from behind, this bird looks greyish
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2018]

Frontal view of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Near-frontal view of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Lateral view of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, May 2018]

Dorsal view of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth illuminated by mellow sunlight, making it conspicuously rufous (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2018]

Lateral view of a rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, October 2018]

l

Lateral view of a (female?) Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Groote Eylandt, NT, August 2014]

Lateral/ventral view of a female(?) Tawny Frogmouth; note the rufous malar stripe and chin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a female(?) Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2018]

PAIR

Lateral view of a pair of Tawny Frogmouths - male on the right, rufous-morphology female on the left (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, June 2014]

Pair of Tawny Frogmouths, likely male on the right, female on the left (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, August 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, October 2020]

Lateral view of a juvenile Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, October 2020]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Dec

Eggs: 3 - 6

Incubation period: 30 days

Fledging age: 28 days

Given the right conditions, Tawny Frogmouths can breed at any time of the year.

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Male (day), male & female (night)

Dependent care: Male & female

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Rudimentary basket

Material: Twigs, grass

Height above ground: 2 - 15 m

The nest usually is just an untidy patch of twigs and grass spread out on a tree fork. Incubation is shared by male (daytime) and female (nighttime).

Additional information

A. Morris reports that Tawny Frogmouths like to take advantage of the protection offered by nesting under a Grey Butcherbird nest. There is now a separate page about various bird species nesting under the umbrella of a stronger, protective species.

Proud (father) Tawny Frogmouth with a hatchling (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, October 2013]

Proud Tawny Frogmouth mom with the same chick as shown above, now aged 7 days (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW, October 2013]

Male Tawny Frogmouth on its nest at daytime, tending to two chicks
[Narrabri, NSW, October 2010]

Male Tawny Frogmouth on its nest at daytime, tending to two chicks (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, November 2016]

Close-up view of one of the Tawny Frogmouth chicks (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, November 2016]

Male Tawny Frogmouth sitting on its nest in the "broken limb" position...
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]

Pop Tawny Frogmouth with a fluffball chick
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]

Tawny Frogmouth with two chicks; one is leaning its head on the parent's back, the second is lying low, with its head on its sibling's back
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, November 2006]

Male Tawny Frogmouth on its nest in an urban environment; the same nest was re-used in at least three consecutive seasons (before the tree was cut down...)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2011]

Female Tawny Frogmouth with a chick approaching fledging age (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay East, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2013]

Female Tawny Frogmouth with a chick approaching fledging age; here the two are seen in the broken limb posture
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay East, East Gippsland, VIC, November 2013]

This Tawny Frogmouth chose to have a prickly nest (photo courtesy of B. Taylor)
[Burrum Heads, near Hervey Bay, QLD, October 2018]

Rufous-morphology female Tawny Frogmouth on its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 42 x 29 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Lateral view of a pair of Tawny Frogmouths - male at bottom, female at the top - making use of their excellent camouflage of crytpic plumage and dead limb posture (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Litchfield NP, NT, April 2021]

Example of a parent bird's dedication to saving its offspring: female Tawny Frogmouth protecting its chick that had fallen out of its nest - rescuers put it back in the nest and the precocial little one subsequently had a fighting chance in life
(photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Lake Hume Tourist Park, near Albury Wodonga, NSW/VIC, October 2019]

Similar to some types of owls (e.g. Barn Owls), Tawny Frogmouths do not mind roosting and/or nesting close to humans.

As nocturnal predators, Tawny Frogmouths can attract a lot of attention when spotted by other bird species during the day; in this case: a whole family clan of Blue-faced Honeyeaters (of which only one is visible), a pair of Magpie-larks, a whole family clan of Noisy Miners (of which only one is visible) and two Spotted Bowerbirds (not visible)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2013]

Food, Diet

The photo below shows that Tawny Frogmouths feed, possibly amongst other types of prey, on frogs, in particular green treefrogs.

Female Tawny Frogmouth with a Green Treefrog stuck in its throat; the bird attracted our attention with the thwacking sounds it made when killing the frog by hitting it against the branch it was sitting on
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2011]

Adults: Frogs, insects

Dependents: Pieces of adults' prey

Water intake: None

Tawny Frogmouths take their liquids from their prey (frogs, insects).

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

tawny_20180929.m4a	strigoides (NW NSW)	Contact call	© MD
tawny_20140902.m4a	strigoides (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
tawny_20170710.m4a	strigoides (NW NSW)	Contact calls	© MD
tawny_20210401.m4a	strigoides (NW NSW)	Contact calls (8:30 min)	© MD
tawny_20210305.mp3	strigoides (NW NSW)	Contact calls (15:30 min) (+ Eastern Barn Owl)	© MD
tawny_20210504.mp3	strigoides (NW NSW)	Contact calls pair Q&A (+ Australian Boobook)	© MD
tawny_20210430.mp3	strigoides (NW NSW)	Pair Q&A (19:30 min)	© MD

More Tawny Frogmouth sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Tue, 7 March 2023, 10:29 +00:00