Horsfield's Frogmouth vs Marbled Frogmouth
Batrachostomus javensis compared with Podargus ocellatus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Horsfield's Frogmouth | Marbled Frogmouth |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Batrachostomus javensis | Podargus ocellatus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Podargidae | Podargidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 22.2 cm (8.7 in) | 35.2 cm (13.9 in) |
| Weight | 46.333333333333336 g (1.63 oz) | 205.83333333333334 g (7.26 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds nocturnally on large beetles, millipedes, and worms; occasionally takes small lizards by ground-pouncing. | Strictly nocturnal; takes large beetles, frogs, and lizards by silent perch-drop onto the forest floor. |
| Clutch Size | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Horsfield's Frogmouth
Melodic 'choo-choo-choo' or plaintive whistle; repeated soft notes; calls from Javan and Philippine forest at night; pitch moderate; pairs often answer each other
Marbled Frogmouth
Loud 'oom-oom-oom' or bubbling cackle; resonant hollow hooting; calls from New Guinea forest at night; alarm a harsh hiss; repertoire includes soft cooing and chuckling
Geographic Range & Migration
Horsfield's Frogmouth
Found from the Thai-Malay Peninsula through Sumatra, Java, and Borneo to the Philippines. Resident in lowland and hill forest below 1,000 m.
Marbled Frogmouth
Found in New Guinea and Australia (Cape York Peninsula). Resident in tropical rainforest, vine thickets, and dense monsoon forest.
Conservation Status
Horsfield's Frogmouth
Marbled Frogmouth
How to Tell Them Apart
Horsfield's Frogmouth
Males grey-brown with black freckling and white scapular spots; females warm tawny-rufous with bold white-spotted wing coverts; smallest of the Southeast Asian frogmouths; Javan endemic with finely patterned cryptic plumage.
Marbled Frogmouth
Intricately marbled chestnut-brown and black upperparts with pale buff ocellations; underparts pale buff barred dark brown; large yellow eyes; massive hooked bill; female averages more rufous-chestnut than grey-brown male.
About These Birds
Horsfield's Frogmouth
A medium-sized frogmouth (21-25 cm) found in lowland and foothill forests of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. Dark brown plumage with rufous breast band. Nocturnal insectivore of dense forest undergrowth. Often detected by its distinctive whistled call.
Marbled Frogmouth
A large frogmouth (38-50 cm) found in New Guinea and surrounding islands and northeast Australia. Mottled brown, black, and white plumage resembling tree bark. Nocturnal insectivore with a wide, hooked bill. Inhabits rainforest and forest edges.