#podargiformes

Tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) in Tasmania

Large Frogmouth (Batrachostomus auritus), parent with chick, family Podargidae, order Podargiformes, Malaysia

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next strisorean order is Podargiformes, commonly called “frogmouths”. Podargiformes consists of one family, Podargidae, containing 14 species within 3 genera.

Frogmouths are named for their large, flattened, hooked bill and huge frog-like gape, which they use to catch insects. As nocturnal birds, they have large, forward-facing eyes, superficially similar to owls. During the day, they rest on branches and rely on their camouflage to hide themselves from predators. Their flight is weak. Species within the genus Podargus are large with massive, flat, broad bills. They are restricted to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily insectivores, but are also known to take larger prey, such as small vertebrates (frogs, mice, etc.), which are usually beaten against a stone before swallowing. Batrachostomus species have smaller, more rounded bills. They are found in tropical Asia and are primarily insectivores. Batrachostomus species have longer rictal bristles, possibly to protect their eyes from insect prey. One species exists within the genus Rigidipenna (image 3), native to the Solomon Islands. It has less tail feathers than the other frogmouths (8 as opposed to 10-12), more course feathers, and more pronounced markings.

Frogmouths are monogamous, and usually pair for life. They will build a fragile nest in the fork of a branch, laying 1 to 3 white eggs. The eggs are incubated by the female at night and the male during the day. The bird that is not currently incubating will rest nearby, occasionally bringing food to the incubating partner. Once the chicks are hatched, both parents cooperate in feeding and raising them, and the juvenile(s) may stay with their parents for several months after hatching.

Strisores have a well-represented fossil record, with fossils of most major strisorean lineages known from the Paleogene. Strisores evolved in the Eocene, with the two main extant lineages of separating about 60–55 million years ago. At around 40 mya, the common ancestors of Caprimulgidae and Nyctibiidae diverged from those of the Oilbird and Frogmouths.

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Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)