Tawny Frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouth When is an Owl not an Owl? When it is a Tawny Frogmouth! This unwitting false owl is responsible for much confusion in the world of Owls. The fact is, this bird is not an owl at all. Owls belong to the order of Strigiformes, while Tawny Frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) are sometimes placed in the order of Coraciiformes which, in Australia, includes kingfishers and kookaburras. However, in some other taxonomies, notably by Sibley, frogmouths are indeed included with Strigiformes but separated into a different suborder (Caprimulgi) and Infraorder (Podargides) than are true owls. The reasons for the confusion are plain to see. Here is a bird with the same mottled, cryptic pattern as an Owl, with wide eyes, and keeping the same nocturnal habits as many owl species. Further adding to the confusion is that the call of the Southern Boobook Owl (Ninox boobook) is often wrongly attributed to the Tawny Frogmouth. It is for this reason, that the Tawny Frogmouth is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a Morepork, or Mopoke. There are other species of Frogmouths and Nightjars that are often confused with owls, but the Tawny Frogmouth is the one most commonly mistaken for an Owl. Filmed in June 2014 at Paradise Park Video Produced by Paul Dinning - Wildlife in Cornwall