Tawny Frogmouths are Australian native birds that habitat open woodlands and urban areas alike. They are often mistaken for Southern Boobooks, but are not owls at all. Frogmouths are members of the nightjar family, and are more closely related to kookaburras and kingfishers than to owls. However, like the owls, they are silent night hunters. In flight, they do not make a sound! Birds of prey are easy to identify; their eyes are always set forward.

This photo is of this years Tawny Frogmouth family (comprised of 2 adult birds and two chicks, although only one chick is shown here), taken in my backyard in Brisbane QLD, Oct 2010. Even though the chicks are only a couple of months old, they know a predator when they see one, although I don’t pose too much of a threat, and they seem to realise that. Unless you know what you are looking for, these birds are not easily detected. They are very well camouflaged.

I’ve posted these photos, not for their artistic merit, but rather their educational merit. Many people have never heard of, let alone seen, a Tawny Frogmouth, so these photos may very well be their first experience. I hope you enjoy them.

B&W – Alien Infrared with modest Gaussian Blur on the foliage and blue temp shift, otherwise very little post-editing.

Photo taken with Canon IXUS 80 IS and edited with Lightzone. SIMPLICITY is my niche!

Original Image: