Tawny Frogmouth

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(New page: Image:Tawnyfrogmouth.jpg '''Common Name:''' Tawny Frogmouth<br> '''Scientific Name:''' Podargus strigoides '''Size:''' 13.4-20.9 inches (34-53 cm); '''Wingspan:''' 25.6-38.6 inches (...)
Current revision (20:52, 7 December 2015) (view source)
 
Frogmouths are found in almost any habitat type including forests and woodlands, scrub and heath-land vegetation, and savannas. However, they do not occur in heavy rain forests and treeless deserts.They are seen in large numbers in areas that are populated with many river gums and casuarinas and can be found along river courses if these areas are timbered.Tawny frogmouths are common in suburbs, having adapted to human presence. They have been reported nesting in parks and gardens with trees.  
Frogmouths are found in almost any habitat type including forests and woodlands, scrub and heath-land vegetation, and savannas. However, they do not occur in heavy rain forests and treeless deserts.They are seen in large numbers in areas that are populated with many river gums and casuarinas and can be found along river courses if these areas are timbered.Tawny frogmouths are common in suburbs, having adapted to human presence. They have been reported nesting in parks and gardens with trees.  
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Status:''' Least Concern to Near Threatened.  '''Global population:''' Unknown amount of adult individuals with a stable population trend, although southern and western Australia have seen declining populations. Tawny frogmouths face a number of threats from human activities and pets. Tawny frogmouths are often killed or injured on rural roads during feeding as they fly in front of cars when chasing insects illuminated in the beam of the headlights. Large scale land clearing of eucalyptus trees and intense bush fires are serious threats to tawny frogmouth populations as they tend not to move to other areas if their homes are destroyed. Household cats are the most significant introduced predator of the tawny frogmouth, however dogs and foxes are known to also occasionally kill the birds. When tawny frogmouths pounce to catch prey on the ground, they are slow to return to flight and vulnerable to attack from these predators. As they have adapted to live in close proximity to human populations, tawny frogmouths are at high risk of exposure to pesticides. Continued widespread use of insecticides and rodent poisons are hazardous as they remain in the system of the target animal and can be fatal to a tawny frogmouth that eats them.
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'''Status:''' Least Concern to Near Threatened.  '''Global population:''' Unknown amount of adult individuals with a stable population trend, although southern and western Australia have seen declining populations. Tawny frogmouths face a number of threats from human activities and pets. Tawny frogmouths are often killed or injured on rural roads during feeding as they fly in front of cars when chasing insects illuminated in the beam of the headlights. Large scale land clearing of eucalyptus trees and intense bush fires are serious threats to tawny frogmouth populations as they tend not to move to other areas if their homes are destroyed. Household cats are the most significant introduced predator of the tawny frogmouth, however dogs and foxes are known to also occasionally kill the birds. When tawny frogmouths pounce to catch prey on the ground, they are slow to return to flight and vulnerable to attack from these predators. As they have adapted to live in close proximity to human populations, tawny frogmouths are at high risk of exposure to pesticides. Continued widespread use of insecticides and rodent poisons are hazardous as they remain in the system of the target animal and can be fatal to a tawny frogmouth that eats them.
'''Diet:''' Mainly insects, arthropods, spiders, frogs, and sometimes small mammals. Prey is caught both on the ground and in the air with their large bills.  All frogmouths are nocturnal.  
'''Diet:''' Mainly insects, arthropods, spiders, frogs, and sometimes small mammals. Prey is caught both on the ground and in the air with their large bills.  All frogmouths are nocturnal.  
'''Nesting:''' A medium to large frogmouth, pale gray and heavily streaked and mottled with darker charcoal gray. Upper parts generally dark with forehead and crown heavily streaked dark gray, with the sides for the head pale gray. Long feathery bristles above the base of the bill form a crest-like tuft in the mid-line. Back, wings and upper tail mottled dark and light gray with white spots on primaries. Under parts are pale gray with finely streaked dark gray. Under wings are very pale gray with indistinct darker gray on primaries. The iris is yellow. The bill is blue-gray, slightly hooked, feathered to the tip, and extremely broad with a huge gape. Legs and feet are blue-gray.  
'''Nesting:''' A medium to large frogmouth, pale gray and heavily streaked and mottled with darker charcoal gray. Upper parts generally dark with forehead and crown heavily streaked dark gray, with the sides for the head pale gray. Long feathery bristles above the base of the bill form a crest-like tuft in the mid-line. Back, wings and upper tail mottled dark and light gray with white spots on primaries. Under parts are pale gray with finely streaked dark gray. Under wings are very pale gray with indistinct darker gray on primaries. The iris is yellow. The bill is blue-gray, slightly hooked, feathered to the tip, and extremely broad with a huge gape. Legs and feet are blue-gray.  
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Tawny frogmouths have three distinct color morphs, gray being the most common in both sexes. Males of this morph have silver-gray upper parts with black streaks and slightly paler underparts with white barring and brown to rufous mottling. Females of this morph are often darker with more rufous mottling. Females of the subspecies P. s. strigoides have a chestnut morph and females of the subspecies ''P. s. phalaenoides'' have a rufous morph. Leucistic or albinistic all-white aberrant plumage for this species has also been documented.
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Tawny frogmouths have three distinct color morphs, gray being the most common in both sexes. Males of this morph have silver-gray upper parts with black streaks and slightly paler underparts with white barring and brown to rufous mottling. Females of this morph are often darker with more rufous mottling. Females of the subspecies ''P. s. strigoides'' have a chestnut morph and females of the subspecies ''P. s. phalaenoides'' have a rufous morph. Leucistic or albinistic all-white aberrant plumage for this species has also been documented.
Tawny frogmouths form partnerships for life and once established, pairs will usually stay in the same territory for a decade or more. Establishing and maintaining physical contact is an integral part of the lifelong bond. During breeding season, tawny frogmouth pairs roost closely together on the same branch, often with their bodies touching. The male will carry out grooming by gently stroking through the plumage of the female with his beak in sessions that can last for ten minutes or more.
Tawny frogmouths form partnerships for life and once established, pairs will usually stay in the same territory for a decade or more. Establishing and maintaining physical contact is an integral part of the lifelong bond. During breeding season, tawny frogmouth pairs roost closely together on the same branch, often with their bodies touching. The male will carry out grooming by gently stroking through the plumage of the female with his beak in sessions that can last for ten minutes or more.

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