Bornean Frogmouth vs Sumatran Frogmouth

Batrachostomus mixtus compared with Batrachostomus poliolophus

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Bornean Frogmouth Sumatran Frogmouth
Scientific Name Batrachostomus mixtus Batrachostomus poliolophus
Order Caprimulgiformes Caprimulgiformes
Family Podargidae Podargidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 23.6 cm (9.3 in) 24.1 cm (9.5 in)
Weight 46.3 g (1.63 oz) 46.3 g (1.63 oz)
Diet Nocturnal perch-and-pounce predator feeding on large invertebrates, small frogs, and lizards on the forest floor. Night hunter detecting prey by sound; takes large beetles, frogs, and lizards in swift pouncing …
Clutch Size -- 1
Population Trend
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Bornean Frogmouth only

None

Sumatran Frogmouth only

None

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Song & Call Comparison

Bornean Frogmouth

Song

Soft melodic hooting; 'too-too' whistle from Bornean hill forest; gentle and ventriloquial; calls at night from dense undergrowth; alarm a soft hissing exhalation

Sumatran Frogmouth

Song

High melodic whistle; 'kee-wii' repeated softly at night; Sumatran highland forest endemic; rarely recorded; higher-pitched than lowland frogmouths; pairs call together

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Geographic Range & Migration

Bornean Frogmouth

Endemic to the highlands of Borneo at 900–2,400 m. Found in montane forest on Mount Kinabalu and adjacent ranges. Rare.

Sumatran Frogmouth

Endemic to the highlands of Sumatra at 800–2,000 m. Found in submontane and montane rainforest. Rare and seldom recorded.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Bornean Frogmouth

Least Concern

Sumatran Frogmouth

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How to Tell Them Apart

Bornean Frogmouth

Plumage

Males grey-brown finely vermiculated dark; white scapular spots; females rufous-chestnut with white-buff spotting; small Borneo endemic closely resembling Sumatran Frogmouth but greyer with less contrast between crown and back.

Sumatran Frogmouth

Plumage

Males grey with fine black stippling and white scapular row; pale grey crown slightly paler than back; females rufous-cinnamon with white-spotted coverts; Sumatran endemic with noticeably pale grey crown distinguishing …

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About These Birds

Bornean Frogmouth

A medium-sized frogmouth (23-25 cm) endemic to the mountains of Borneo. Dark brown plumage. Nocturnal insectivore of montane moss forest. Recently split from Horsfield's Frogmouth. Limited ecological data; restricted to elevations above 600 m.

Sumatran Frogmouth

A medium-sized frogmouth (23-26 cm) endemic to montane forests of Sumatra, Indonesia, above 900 m elevation. Rufous-brown plumage with fine whitish markings. Nocturnal insectivore of dense undergrowth. Poorly known; classified as Near Threatened due to forest loss.

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