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Podargidae - frogmouths

Tawny FrogmouthThe Podargidae family includes 15 species of frogmouths. Frogmouths are found in India, Asia, and Australia.

Frogmouths have a large, flattened, hooked bill that looks like a frog's mouth when it is open! During the day, they stretch out horizontally on tree branches and sleep. Their cryptic coloration helps them blend in with the bark on trees. Frogmouths are nocturnal and they eat insects and small animals like frogs and mice. They often beat their prey against rocks after they capture it.

People sometimes confuse frogmouths with owls, but they don't have talons like owls; in fact their feet are very small! They are more closely related to nightjars.

World Status Key
Least ConcernLeast Concern Near ThreatenedNear Threatened VulnerableVulnerable EndangeredEndangered Critically EndangeredCritically Endangered extinct in the wildExtinct in Wild extinctExtinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in US Threatened in New Hampshire Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in US Endangered in NH Endangered in NH Introduced Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

  New Hampshire Species

 

  North/Central American Species

None   None

Other Species Around the World

Africa Africa Asia Asia Australia Australia/Oceania Europe Europe North America North America South AmericaSouth America New Hampshire Species NH Species

Blyth's Frogmouth - Batrachostomus affinis Least Concern Asia
Large Frogmouth - Batrachostomus auritus Near Threatened Asia
Sunda Frogmouth - Batrachostomus cornutus Least Concern Asia
Dulit Frogmouth - Batrachostomus harterti Near Threatened Asia
Hodgson's Frogmouth - Batrachostomus hodgsoni Least Concern Asia
Javan Frogmouth - Batrachostomus javensis Least Concern Asia
Bornean Frogmouth - Batrachostomus mixtus Near Threatened Asia
Sri Lanka Frogmouth - Batrachostomus moniliger Least Concern Asia

  Short-tailed Frogmouth - Batrachostomus poliolophus Near Threatened Asia
Philippine Frogmouth - Batrachostomus septimus Least Concern Asia
Gould's Frogmouth - Batrachostomus stellatus Near Threatened Asia
Marbled Frogmouth - Podargus ocellatus Least Concern Asia Australia
Papuan Frogmouth - Podargus papuensis Least Concern Asia Australia
Tawny Frogmouth - Podargus strigoides Least Concern Australia
Solomon Islands Frogmouth - Rigidipenna inexpectata Least Concern Australia

Additional Information

Key: profile Profile Photos Photos Video Video Audio Audio

Gould's Frogmouth - Batrachostomus stellatus Video Audio Near Threatened Asia
Gould's frogmouth is found in Brunei Darussalam; Indonesia; Malaysia; and Thailand.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gould's Frogmouth - Batrachostomus stellatus Photos Audio Near Threatened Asia
Gould's frogmouth is found in evergreen forests.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Hodgson's Frogmouth - Batrachostomus hodgsoni Video Audio Least Concern Asia
Hodgson's frogmouth is found in Bangladesh; Bhutan; China; India; Laos; Myanmar; Thailand; and Vietnam.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Javan Frogmouth - Batrachostomus javensis Photos Video Least Concern Asia
The Javan frogmouth is found in Brunei Darussalam; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; the Philippines; and Thailand.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Large Frogmouth - Batrachostomus auritus Video Near Threatened Asia
The large frogmouth is found in Brunei Darussalam; Indonesia; Malaysia; and Thailand.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Large Frogmouth - Batrachostomus auritus Photos Near Threatened Asia
The large frogmouth is found in lowland evergreen forests.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Marbled Frogmouth - Podargus ocellatus Photos Video Audio Least Concern Asia Australia
The marbled frogmouth is found in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Papuan Frogmouth - Podargus papuensis Photos Video Least Concern Asia Australia
The Papuan frogmouth is found in Australia; Indonesia; and Papua New Guinea.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Philippine Frogmouth - Batrachostomus septimus Photos Video Least Concern Asia
The Philippine frogmouth is found in the Philippines.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Short-tailed Frogmouth - Batrachostomus poliolophus Video Near Threatened Asia
The short-tailed frogmouth is found in Indonesia.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Short-tailed Frogmouth - Batrachostomus poliolophus Photos Near Threatened Asia
The short-tailed frogmouth is found in lowland forests in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sri Lanka Frogmouth - Batrachostomus moniliger Photos Video Least Concern Asia
The Sri Lanka frogmouth is found in India and Sri Lanka.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Tawny Frogmouth - Podargus strigoides Photos Video Least Concern Australia
The tawny frogmouth is found in Australia.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Tawny Frogmouth - Podargus strigoides profile Photos Least Concern Australia
During the day tawny frogmouths sleep perched lengthwise on a branch with their heads up and their eyes closed.
Source: Honolulu Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Tawny Frogmouth - Podargus strigoides profile Photos Least Concern Australia
Most of the tawny frogmouth's diet is made up of nocturnal insects, worms, slugs, and snails.
Source: Australian Museum Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Elementary School

Tawny Frogmouth - Podargus strigoides profile Photos Least Concern Australia
Tawny frogmouths have enormous, wide, frog-like mouths.
Source: Sea World Animal Bytes Intended Audience: Students Reading Level: Elementary School