In a country this deadly, it's no wonder that most animals forage under cover of darkness and spend the day hiding. The Tawny Frogmouth is a perfect example. Rare among birds, he is a nocturnal insect hunter, flying around with his huge, bristled mouth wide open, and snapping it closed whenever he catches a snack. During the night he is lord of the skys, but by daylight his sole defense is desperately convincing predators that he is a treestump.
Their plumage varies across the continent, with the eastern birds favoring the grey bark of the local eucalyptus trees, and the interior birds taking on a rufous hue more in line with the outback. This particular frogmouth is unhappily situated in the Sydney Wildlife World, where he matches nothing at all, which is the only reason we were able to spot him!
No comments:
Post a Comment