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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: 34-53 cm; wing span: 64-98 cm Body mass: 155-680 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.30

Australia: Family Group 13 Family Group 13 Table Oriental Cuckoo Pallid Cuckoo Brush Cuckoo Black-eared Cuckoo Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo Fan-tailed Cuckoo Horsefield's Bronze-Cuckoo Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Little Bronze-Cuckoo Australian Koel Channel-billed Cuckoo Pheasant Coucal Rufous Owl Powerful Owl Barking Owl Australian Boobook Eastern Barn Owl Eastern Grass Owl Australian Masked Owl Greater Sooty Owl Lesser Sooty Owl Marbled Frogmouth Tawny Frogmouth Papuan Frogmouth White-throated Nightjar Spotted Nightjar Large-tailed Nightjar Australian Owlet-nightjar Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Thumbnails page Birds home page

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. Out in nature, Tawny Frogmouths live mostly in open woodland. However, they adapt well to the presence of humans and stay at farms and in gardens, often in the shelter of awnings and sheds. Where to look? How to find this species? Probably the most promising approach to finding a Tawny Frogmouth is to have a "Hill's Hoist" in the garden. Sooner or later there is bound to be a "decorative element" perched right on top. Tawny Frogmouths will use other low to mid-level perches, especially in rural gardens. One can often note their presence even from inside a house when hearing their calls. The greatest thing about such searches is that Tawny Frogmouths don't easily get spooked and will often remain while being approached, even at close quarters (i.e., up to touching distance). Although this may be tempting, wild animals should NOT be touched.

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 first found Tawny Frogmouths, race "brachypterus", at Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, in July 2022. Since then they are found at the same location semi-regularly. A Tawny Frogmouth, race "brachypterus", was also found at Quindalup, WA, in November 2025. 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"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Female Tawny Frogmouths, right, have an inconspicuous rufous malar stripe, while males have no such feature.

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]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a 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]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a 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; here the female is seen preening, while the male remains in its hunched stance
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2012]

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 near-frontal view of a male Tawny Frogmouth looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2026]

Close-up lateral view of a male Tawny Frogmouth looking downwards
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2026]

FEMALE

Grey morphology

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

"Iris scan" of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2025]

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

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

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

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

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

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

Close-up near-lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth looking at the observer; note the dilated right pupil
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2025]

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

Close-up lateral portrait of a female Tawny Frogmouth, with a clear view of the bird's iris
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2025]

Close-up lateral portrait of a female Tawny Frogmouth, with a clear view of the bird's iris
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2025]

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

Close-up lateral portrait of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth in the "broken limb" stance
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2021]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth looking backwards
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2019]

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

Chestnut morphology

Close-up frontal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth
[Eulah Creek, NSW, June 2023]

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

Their rufous colours suggest that this is mum 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 female Tawny Frogmouth in the eyes at night? If yes, click HERE!

Race "brachypterus"

ADULT

FEMALE

Close-up frontal portrait of a female Tawny Frogmouth; note the rufous hues, in particular the malar stripes and the chin
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Close-up frontal portrait of a resting female Tawny Frogmouth (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2026]

Close-up lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth looking at the observer (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2026]

Close-up lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth looking at the observer (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

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]

Lateral view of a female Tawny Frogmouth looking backwards (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Quindalup, WA, November 2025]

PAIR

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

Sex unknown

Partly obscured close-up frontal/near-frontal view of 3 Tawny Frogmouths (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, November 2025]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up view of a female Tawny Frogmouth, front, with a juvenile behind (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

Lateral view of a female(?) Tawny Frogmouth, upper left, with a juvenile, both looking at the observer
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a female(?) Tawny Frogmouth, upper left, with a juvenile (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2024]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth, right, with a juvenile; note that the adult bird is using evaporative cooling by opening its bill on a very hot day (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, December 2025]

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]

Lateral view of a 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]

Lateral view of a male Tawny Frogmouth sitting on its nest in the "broken limb" stance
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, September 2012]

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

Near-dorsal view of a 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]

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

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

Close-up frontal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth with its head turned sideways in its cryptic posture
[Narrabri, NSW, November 2011]

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.

Close-up near-frontal view of a female Tawny Frogmouth with a Green Treefrog stuck in its bill; 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
tawny_me_20260626.m4a	phalaenoides (W NT)	Pair Q&A (distant)	© ME

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.