Birding

Tawny Frogmouths breeding again

November 20, 2022 by Clare M 2 Comments

We are very lucky that here in Broome we have Tawny Frogmouths right in town. There are a pair at the local supermarket and also Cygnet Park and no doubt others nearby. At the shopping centre the pair of Tawny Frogmouths often perch under the eaves at the entrance to the shops during the day. At Cygnet Park we had noticed the absence of one of the Tawny Frogmouths in recent weeks and we wondered if there was a nest in a nearby tree that we hadn’t found. If the nest was in a tree that was not sparse like the one we found recently on the Crab Creek Road then it would be hard to find. This week we discovered that our suspicions were correct. The Tawny Frogmouths had bred once again and they had a young bird with them in the Poinciana tree that they like to use in Cygnet Park.

As always the Tawny Frogmouths rely on camouflage and they blend in well with their surroundings. Initially the young Tawny Frogmouth was posing as a branch and then realised I was below and looked down on me. I didn’t hang around, but took a few photos to capture the Tawny Frogmouth family that has once again bred close to home. I walked slowly around the tree and then left them to have a quiet day in the park before they go hunting at night. The streetlights aid with attracting insects, so it makes perfect sense to live amongst the houses.

Adult and young Tawny Frogmouths

One of the adult Tawny Frogmouths appears to be blind in its right eye. We first noticed the odd eye in April this year, but it does not appear to bother it and it can still feed and obviously breed too.

Tawny Frogmouth with an odd right eye

Whilst I circumnavigated the tree I was ignored and then the young Tawny Frogmouth looked down on me with its huge eyes! It does appear to still have quite a bit of down that will develop into feathers in due course.

Young Tawny Frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouth family

Young Tawny Frogmouth

We are hopeful of rain in coming weeks and then there will be flying ants for the Tawny Frogmouth family to enjoy. I won’t apologise for another Tawny Frogmouth blog! They’re great birds to be able to see so close to home!

Written by Clare M
Clare and her husband, Grant, have lived permanently in Broome, Western Australia since 1999 after living in various outback locations around Western Australia and Darwin. She has lived in the Middle East and the United States and traveled extensively in Europe. She monitors Pied Oystercatchers breeding along a 23km stretch of Broome's coastline by bicycle and on foot. She chooses not to participate in social media, but rather wander off into the bush for peace and tranquility. Thankfully she can write posts in advance and get away from technology!