Delighted Tawny Frogmouths won Australian Bird of the Year. I consider them one of Australia’s most underrated creatures. They are truly delightful! What’s not to love about a creature that looks like a muppet made out of dryer lint that disguises itself as tree branches? I will go try find my local ones this evening to tell them the good news. Here’s some pics of tawnys I’ve had the privledge of meeting before
Don’t miss the absolutely gorgeous posted the Guardian and artist Pete Cromer produced for bird of the year
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/16/download-australian-bird-year-2025-poster
Went down to my local Tawny Frogmouth hangout to congratulate them on their bird of the year win and was delighted to discover that since I dropped by last week they’ve had babies!
Dropped back in to check on how my neighborhood new Tawny Frogmouth family is doing. Spotted the other parent watching on the nest from above
Found another family of Tawny Frogmouths, this one with older babies. Can’t believe I’ve lived in this part of the city for a decade and only just recently discovered I share it with muppets
Wanted my Tawny Frogmouth friends included in the Aussie Bird Count so did tonight’s count from near their nest
Taking a walk to go see my Tawny Frogmouth friends is my favourite part of my routine these days. Quite wisely given their nests aren’t huge and it’s a bit windy the babies were mostly tucked safely under mum’s wing but one did briefly pop out. Dad somehow manages to sleep despite his small branch swaying
I think everyone in Melbourne is feeling a bit damp today
Got a fright when I arrived at the local Tawny Frogmouth nest to find no one there. Thankfully all was well and it was just that the parents had decided there wasn’t enough room in the nest and everyone needed their own branch. I’m surprised it lasted this long given tawnys build very half-arsed nests.
Also got to hear their adorable call which I don’t usually. It’s sort of a hoot but sounds more like a phone on vibrate
What a privledge to watch magical creatures grow up
I was feeling a little sad that the family of Tawny Frogmouths I’ve been watching grow up had moved on from their nest site, even if it wasn’t surprising due to over the fence of a primary school being suboptimal for creatures who sleep during the day. I was just walking in another part of the neighbourhood and spotted a Tawny. Could be one of my friends, but they look like they’re nesting so could also be a new family with a late group of babies which would be delightful.
This is my first time spotting a Tawny in a new location without any assistance (up high and in low light no less). That feels like a major milestone towards being a skilled birder!
My newest tawny frogmouth friend has stayed in the same spot so I’m hopeful that means she’s nesting and I’ll soon get to see another group of adorable muppets
On my regular pilgrimage to the newest local Tawny Frogmouth nest to watch for newly hatched babies
No one does unimpressed side eye like a tawny. Seems the rainbow lorikeets were getting on their nerves
While staring up into a tree looking at the tawny frogmouth nest I’ve been watching for a while a stranger walking past told me about another group of them nearby. It’s not the first time this has happened, I’ve similarly bestowed knowledge of our tawny friends on others I’ve met while bird watching. Loving these birds is like participating in the world’s most delightful and cooperative treasure hunt
Further instalments from my Tawny Frogmouth admiring
The youngest neighbourhood Tawny Frogmouths are in their delightfully awkward grubby Furby stage as they start to get their adult feathers
Some of the ones who hatched several months prior are now roaming the neighbourhood alone leading to some entertaining posts in local online groups from people confused about what the creature in their yard is
I don’t think anyone in #melbourne enjoyed today’s weather!
In some of these you can sort of see one of the Tawny Frogmouth’s special talents. Often when they’re sleeping or wish to be inconspicuous they hang out in a tree with bark that looks like their feathers and stretch themselves out to look like a broken branch. When their eyes are closed it can be very convincing!
The youngest of the neighbourhood Tawny Frogmouth chicks made the momentous step of moving from the nest to a new branch in the last few days but the parents are still sticking close. Tawnys pair up for life and are devoted parents who take turns looking after the kids. The one not on childcare duty will usually be out hunting or resting on a nearby branch
Muppet nap time
#birds #birding #wildoz #australianwildlife #wildlife #TawnyFrogmouth
Looks like today's Tawny pictures didn't add to this thread properly, here they are
As I knew would happen it seems the last of the nesting Tawny Frogmouth families I’ve been watching has left the tree they’ve called home while their kids were young and migrated elsewhere in the area. It’s bittersweet. I’m a little sad that I won’t be able to reliably go see them but I know the move is good for them and that perhaps I will have the delight of stumbling across them as I wander around the neighbourhood. I will be doing lots of looking up as I walk among the trees. Today I came across this young one, who I’m guessing is one of the ones who hatched earlier in the season
When what I thought was an unusually late in season nest of Tawny Frogmouths fledged in late December, I thought I wouldn’t be seeing baby tawnies again until their usual hatching season in September. I was astounded and delighted to walk past one of the nesting trees and see tiny floofy babies! It’s one of the same nests that had babies in it a few months ago so it’s unclear if the same couple had a second clutch for the season or if another couple took over the nest. What I’ve read is unclear if a second clutch is possible, will be asking my ecologist coworkers
Dropped by the muppets. Babies were probably hidden away under the parent’s wings (probably dad’s since it’s day time). Smart since it’s a bit breezy and Tawny Frogmouth nests are flimsy.
Asked some ecologist friends about the nest being occupied for the second time in the season. They said it’s quite possible it’s the same Tawnies as a bunch of south eastern Australian bird species are able to have two clutches of chicks in a season if the conditions are right. Imagine having responsibility for two lots of babies in 4 months!
I was surprised to see a tiny tawny pop up from the nest without a supervising adult obvious. Hopefully the parent on duty has ducked out briefly for food or is utilising their excellent camouflage skills. At least off duty parent was chilling in a branch nearby
Found a local Tawny Frogmouth not quite ready to wake up for an night of snacking on insects and roaming the neighbourhood.
Something I’ve found fascinating about them is how supremely unbothered they are. While the local suburban area doesn’t have expansive nature, there’s definitely trees they could go to find some better quiet and privacy from humans. Instead I routinely see them in various trees right next to bike paths busy during their daytime sleeping hours. Even saw one family of them who nested over the fence of a primary school playground!
Checking in on the youngest local Tawny Frogmouth. Haven't seen the parents around as much lately as would be normal but hopefully the kid getting nicely chonky is a sign they're still both around and involved.
Borb mode!
It’s not just humans who have awkward scraggly teenage phases
While I was watching the tawny frogmouth in the last post some people came by doing the classic birder walking while looking up in trees thing. I showed them this tawny and they told me about where they’d seen these other ones nearby. Several others stopped to see what we were looking at and I lent them my binoculars. Suburban birding is a fabulous way to meet other locals
Joanna Holman
Mark Asser