The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus Strigoides)

They are birds, they are not owls but they are more closely related to Kookaburras.

They are found throughout Australia. The adult Frogmouths are about 50 cm from head to tail ( 350_530 mm) in length, but they are larger in southeastern Australia than in the north.

The male has a greyer plumage but the female has a browner plumage and it is less mottled in colour.The sexes are similar, the male slightly larger and the claws slightly darker. Their upper parts are dark grey streaked with black, tipped with white and russet flecks. They have a face grayish/ white brown and dusky. They have white tipped bristles spreading towards the tip of bill is olive to black grey and they have a yellow mouth. Their eyes are lemon to orange yellow, their tails are grey barred with black and their feet are olive brown.

They blend in with the trunk of trees and they are look like a broken branch of a tree. They are indistinguishable while roosting in trees. They sound like an " oom oom oom " call which they repeat 10_50 times like a motor that won't start and sharp " took took " in alarm.

They are nocturnal.they live in the same area year after year. they growl, hiss and snap in threat or defence. They hunt for food and mainly insects. The breeding period is from August to December. The female lays 1_3 eggs which they are incubated for about 20 to 32 days by both parents, each spends up to 12 hours in incubation and the male often does it by day. The Young fly in 25 -35 days.