Congratulations to the Tawny Frogmouth - cute species is voted Australia's Bird of The Year (2025)

     

Widespread but at risk from rodenticides - the Tawny Frogmouth (photo: JJ Harruison via Wikimedia Commons)

THE Tawny Frogmouth has been voted Australia's Bird of the Year.

A runner-up in previous years, the species secured 11,851 votes, puting it ahead of the Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo and the Gang-gang Cockatoo.

Says Birdlife Australia which organised the competition: "Equal parts strange and endearing, the Tawny Frogmouth seems to have struck a chord thanks to its large eyes, downturned beak and perpetually surprised face.

"Often mistaken for owls, Tawny Frogmouths are actually more closely related to Nightjars and even Hummingbirds. 

"Found across Australia, from bushland to suburban gardens, they  feed on a varied diet of insects, rodents, reptiles and frogs.

"During the day, they blend into their surroundings by perching motionless on branches, stretching their bodies upward and closing their eyes to resemble a broken limb. 

"Their silvery-grey plumage mimics tree bark so convincingly that you could easily walk right past one without realising it’s there."

Birdlife Australia adds: "While Tawny Frogmouths remain common and widespread across the country, they face growing threats from habitat clearing and poisoning from some kinds of commonly used rodenticides, an issue affecting many nocturnal hunters."

The species was first identified in 1801 by the English naturalist. John Latham, who was sent bird skins from Australia.