Alecia’s Cottage had a Special Guest this week

A Tawny Frogmouth stayed for days on the fence outside Alecia Cottage’s front door!

Tawny Frogmouths are large nocturnal birds measuring about 48 cms! The beak is very wide but doesn’t protude a lot and is covered with feathers.

A truly prehistoric looking bird!

During the day, they perch on tree branches, often low down, camouflaged as part of the tree. During his stay he stayed perfectly still – he thought he was blending in with the fencepost – but we were able to get up nice and close for a good look at such an unusual bird.

The bulk of the Tawny Frogmouth’s diet is made up of nocturnal insects, worms, slugs and snails. Small mammals, reptiles, frogs and birds are also eaten. Most food is obtained by pouncing to the ground from a tree or other elevated perch. Some prey items, such as moths, are caught in flight, which has led to many unfortunate instances of birds being hit by cars while chasing insects illuminated in the beam of the headlights.

We saw him suddenly fly and catch an insect – he was not scared of us at all.

During the day, the Tawny Frogmouth perches on a tree branch, often low down, camouflaged as part of the tree.