Tawny Frogmouth, Adelaide Zoo, South Australia
2 Comments »14th May, 2010; Category: Aviaries, Nocturnal birds, Owls Frogmouths and Nightjars, Zoos
Tawny frogmouth, Adelaide Zoo, South Australia
On my recent visit to the Adelaide Zoo I managed to get some good photos of some of the animals and birds on display.
This photo of a Tawny Frogmouth is not one of them.
I was really struggling to get a good shot because of a number of factors:
- I was shooting through some rather thick wire. There were several large black cockatoos in the same aviary and they will easily chew through thin netting.
- The light was dodgy and the flash reflected off the wire.
- The keeper was in the aviary replacing some of the decorative tree branches, and so the frogmouth was uneasy.
- Frogmouths are naturally well camouflaged. Can you pick it out against the tree stump on which it is sitting?
If you click on the photo you can enlarge the image, and that might help. (Hint – the bird is right in the very centre of the photo.)
Update: I’ve recently posted a new article on this species, including a better photo here.
I liked your photo and can understand how hard it was to take. Today (Australia Day) we went to our shack in Clayton, South Australia for a barbecue. In a nearby tree we were absolutely amazed to see a bird that looked exactly like part of the tree. We watched it, fascinated for some time. It was my son who noticed eventually that there were three others in the same tree that we were completely oblivious to. They look beautiful creatures, and I don’t know if it was my imagination or not – but they seemed to have such character in their little faces. I had never even heard of tawny frogmouths until today. Seeing them made today a really special Australia Day. I wish I had my camera. Thank you for sharing your photo.
Thanks Gaynor.
They are one of my favourite birds – but then – I have lots of favourites!
We were in Clayton the day before you – on Tuesday. We were on our way to stay with friends in Victor Harbor. We took the scenic route – from Murray Bridge to Victor via Langhorne Creek, Milang, Clayton, Currency Creek.
Since taking the photo above I’ve taken a better photo:
http://www.trevorsbirding.com/tawny-frogmouth-adelaide-zoo/
Next time you go to Clayton, take your camera. The frogmouths could still be there. Your garden obviously is a good roosting spot, so they are likely to be there often. Seeing there were 4 of them indicates that 2 of them may have been young ones.