DESCRIPTION

Adults: 350-530mm in length, larger in southeastern Australian than in the north. Sexes similar but the male slightly larger. The female is less mottled in colour. Upper parts dark grey streaked with black, tipped with white and russet flecks. Flight feathers dusky in colour, spotted and barred with white and rufous. Face is greyish with a white brow and dusky, white tipped bristles spreading towards tip of bill. Large bill coloured olive to black grey with a yellow mouth. Underparts pale to mid grey with sparse black streaks becoming coursely flecked with white on the belly. Tail grey in colour barred with black. Eye lemon to orange yellow. Feet and lets are olive brown to washed brown and the claws are slightly darker.

Voice: Territorial and contact call a pulsating monotonously repeated "ooom ooom" repeated 10-50 times in quick succession. Sharp "tootook" in alarm. Growling, hissing and snapping in threat or defence.

The day time camouflage of the Tawny Frogmouth is extraordinary, quite often indistinguishable while roosting in trees.  It is very common throughout Australia, preferring open forests and woodlands.  The owl is a sedentary bird, living in the same area year after year.  It becomes active at dusk, hunting for food which consists mainly of insects.  Male and female pair permanently and during the day roost closely together. At threat or disturbance they freeze, compacting their feathers and squinting their eyes and look for all the world like a broken branch of a tree.  The breeding period, which is advertised by the parents drumming call,  is from August to December and its  nest is made of leaves and twigs, high above the ground.  The female lays between 1 and 3 eggs which are incubated, for about 28 to 32 days by both parents.  Each may spend up to 12 hours in incubation, the male often by day.  Young fledge in 25 - 35 days.