Large Frogmouth vs Tawny Frogmouth
Batrachostomus auritus compared with Podargus strigoides
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Large Frogmouth | Tawny Frogmouth |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Batrachostomus auritus | Podargus strigoides |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Podargidae | Podargidae |
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 52.1 cm (20.5 in) | 45.8 cm (18.0 in) |
| Weight | 206.0 g (7.27 oz) | 430.0 g (15.17 oz) |
| Diet | Crepuscular and nocturnal; hunts large insects, spiders, and small vertebrates by dropping from perches to … | Nocturnal ground-gleaning insectivore; drops from a perch onto large insects, frogs, and small lizards below. |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Large Frogmouth
Deep, resonant 'whooo' or mellow hooting; one of Asia's largest frogmouths; calls from Bornean lowland forest at night; soft ventriloquial quality; alarm a hiss
Tawny Frogmouth
Resonant, repeated 'oom-oom-oom'; low booming hoot; soft and melodious for such a large bird; calls at night from Australian eucalypt forest; alarm a harsh 'grr'
Geographic Range & Migration
Large Frogmouth
Found in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and Borneo in lowland and hill dipterocarp forest. Restricted to primary forest below 1,000 m. Scarce.
Tawny Frogmouth
Found throughout Australia including Tasmania. Resident in woodland, forest edge, and suburban areas. Widespread and common across the continent.
Conservation Status
Large Frogmouth
Tawny Frogmouth
How to Tell Them Apart
Large Frogmouth
Large Bornean frogmouth; males grey-brown with fine black vermiculations and white scapular spots; females rich chestnut-brown with white-spotted wing coverts; yellow eyes; prominent rictal bristles; largest of the Batrachostomus frogmouths.
Tawny Frogmouth
Cryptic silver-grey upperparts with black shaft streaks; underparts paler grey with dark streaking; females often more rufous-tawny morph; vivid yellow eyes; heavy hooked bill; famous for bark-mimicking upright posture when …
About These Birds
Large Frogmouth
A large frogmouth (38-42 cm) of lowland rainforests in Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. Rich brown plumage with white ear-tufts. Nocturnal insectivore with an enormous gape. The largest Asian frogmouth, feeding on large insects and small vertebrates.
Tawny Frogmouth
A large, stocky frogmouth (34-53 cm) endemic to Australia, widespread across the continent. Silvery-grey mottled plumage provides superb camouflage against tree bark. Nocturnal insectivore pouncing on prey from perches. Australia's most commonly encountered nocturnal bird.