I forget what they're called, but the feathers around its beak act as a big net. When it flies with it's mouth open after a bug, the feathers funnel the bug right into it's gaping maw.
I want to call it a patoo but I think that's a science fiction creature with the same schtick.
Thanks for the link; it's apparently related to North American whippoorwills and nighthawks, but with a relatively larger mouth. From the link:
"The tawny frogmouth feeds on rats, mice, cicadas, beetles, frogs and other small prey. They catch their prey with their beaks rather than with their talons, another way in which they are different from owls."
Since whippoorwills and nighthawks are eaters of flying bugs, the frogmouth seems to be far more broad in its tastes. Rats, eh?
We had a couple of them for the Australia exhibit in '92 (1992, not 1892. I'm not that old). They sat on their branch and they'd gape when we approached. Depending on the day, they'd get either mice or little balls of Bird Of Prey (doctored horsemeat). So the modus operandi was to toss the food at the big red bull's eye and hope the birds were relaxed enough to catch and eat it. Mostly they let the food bounce off their beaks uncaught. It was frustrating.
Yup. Many years ago I photographed birds in the National Zoo in Washington D.C. and did little reports on them for a science project. (We were supposed to do collections and I was interested in birds—in retrospect I wish I'd gotten more local Maryland birds in the wild, as it were.)
We happened to go by the frogmouth cage at feeding time. I still have a (somewhat blurry) photo somewhere of one swallowing a live mouse whole, and incidentally violating the "never consume anything bigger than your head" rule.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-31 03:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-31 03:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-31 04:18 pm (UTC)I want to call it a patoo but I think that's a science fiction creature with the same schtick.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-31 04:26 pm (UTC)Tawny frogmouth
Date: 2006-07-31 04:40 pm (UTC)Re: Tawny frogmouth
Date: 2006-07-31 06:53 pm (UTC)"The tawny frogmouth feeds on rats, mice, cicadas, beetles, frogs and other small prey. They catch their prey with their beaks rather than with their talons, another way in which they are different from owls."
Since whippoorwills and nighthawks are eaters of flying bugs, the frogmouth seems to be far more broad in its tastes. Rats, eh?
Re: Tawny frogmouth
Date: 2006-08-01 02:05 am (UTC)Re: Tawny frogmouth
Date: 2006-08-01 04:25 pm (UTC)We happened to go by the frogmouth cage at feeding time. I still have a (somewhat blurry) photo somewhere of one swallowing a live mouse whole, and incidentally violating the "never consume anything bigger than your head" rule.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-31 04:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-31 05:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-31 05:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-31 05:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-01 10:52 am (UTC)By the way, do you still have that post up where you answer art questions?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-01 09:44 pm (UTC)