Tawny Frogmouth

Tawny Frogmouth

Podargus strigoides

Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Litchfield National Park
19 Verified sightings at Litchfield National Park From 2019 to 2026
985 Verified sightings across all 19 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Tawny Frogmouth

The tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is a species of frogmouth native to the Australian mainland and Tasmania and found throughout. It is a big-headed, stocky bird often mistaken for an owl due to its nocturnal habits and similar colouring.

In the past, it was sometimes mistakenly called a mopoke or mopawk, a name used for the Australian boobook, the call of which is often confused with that of the tawny frogmouth. The tawny frogmouth was first described in 1801 by English naturalist John Latham. Its specific epithet is derived from Latin strix "owl" and oides "form". Tawny frogmouths belong to the frogmouth genus Podargus, which includes the two other species of frogmouths found within Australia, the marbled frogmouth and the Papuan frogmouth. The frogmouths form a well-defined group within the order Caprimulgiformes. Although related to owls, their closest relatives are the oilbirds, potoos, owlet-nightjars, and true nightjars. The earliest fossil evidence of frogmouths, from the Eocene, implies that they diverged from their closest relatives during the early Tertiary. Three subspecies of the tawny frogmouth are currently recognised:

P. s. phalaenoides... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Litchfield National Park

Large-tailed Nightjar
LC

Large-tailed Nightjar

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Caprimulgus macrurus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
2 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
3 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
4 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
5 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
6 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
7 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
9 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
10 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
11 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
12 Cape Range 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
13 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
14 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
15 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
16 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
17 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
18 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
19 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Tawny Frogmouth in Litchfield National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Frogmouth sighting in Litchfield National Park, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Tawny Frogmouth in Litchfield National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Tawny Frogmouth in Litchfield National Park in our monthly data.

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