Take a quick glimpse at this tree and see if you notice anything.
The keen-eyed (and nocturnal predators) among you might have picked up on a couple of birds camouflaged among the branches. The birds are a pair of tawny frogmouths (Podargus Strigoides) pictured by Wayne Longmore in Victoria. They can be found throughout most of the Australian mainland in woodlands, heathlands, and savannahs.
Needless to say, these carnivorous hunters are masters of disguise, with silvery plumage streaked with black, brown, and white streaks that are perfectly adapted to hiding in dead trees. As Parks Australia explain, this camouflage helps the tawny frogmouth with its “sit-and-wait” style of hunting. This species stays on a high vantage point at night for hours at a time searching for lizards, frogs, insects, and small mammals to predate.
Head over to the Parks Australia website for more information on Australia's National Parks and their wildlife.
