We have only one batch of photos remaining, a special batch for Darwin Day tomorrow, so again I’m stealing some e great photos by Scott Ritchie, who hails from Carirns, Australia. Scott’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them. But please send in your good wildlife photos. His bird today is itself a marvel of natural selection for cryptic coloration and behavior: the Papuan frogmouth.
FROGMOUTH FUNNIES
A Papuan Frogmouth chick [Podargus papuensis] sparked my interest in bird photography 7 years ago. This is a large bird that mimics a dead tree stump or broken branch. Grey and brown mottled camo, and sites still. Carefully watching you through its slit eye. In Nov. 2019, I was thrilled to see Papuan Frogmouths nest in a tree in my front yard. The chick was so cute! I followed it until it fledged a month later.
Ever since this time, I’ve wanted to recapture the magic that a young frogmouth chick brings to the viewer. Large, intense eyes on a fluffy white downy head. CUTE. And they never nested in our tree again.
This year I finally captured a frogmouth chick as it grew, and successfully fledged (i.e., left the nest) near the Cairns Botanic Gardens. Here are some pictures of the growing bird, and my silly stories. I hope you get a kick out of them, and wish them well
My first Papuan Frogmouth chick. Nov. 2019, my yard. The bird that sparked my passion. Max cuteness!:
Fast forward, Dec. 2025. A PFM nests near the Cairns Botanic Gardens.:
A few weeks later, the egg hatches. And a little chick is born. A bit scrawny now. Max cuteness in 1-2 weeks:
In late January, the mozzies [Australian for “mosquitoes”] are fierce. “Dad, there’s a mosquito trying to bite me. Do something!” Max cuteness!:
Dad laughs. “Get used to it. You’re in north Queensland son!”:
Come on Dad! Be a sport:
A week later, max cuteness is past. And a surely teenage frogmouth realises he has to put up with his home a bit longer:
But he’s good humoured about it. Can’t beat ’em, join him!:
And finally the time has come to leave the nest. Dad and son are now roosting in a nearby tree. He’s still a cute puffball. But has a lot to learn:
“Son, comb your bloody feathers! You’ll never convince anyone that you’re a tree stump with that ragtop!”:
😁
These are very interesting birds, and cute. Thanks for the neat pictures!
First photo — those eyes!
Such a unique set! Do the dads raise the chicks? That is unusual but not unheard of.
Looks exactly like a tree branch. Great camouflage.
Best wishes to the (still) cute frogmouths! From the side the mouths do look vaguely frog like.