The vital role of the Tawny Frogmouth father - from chick to fledgling
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- This Tawny Frogmouth adult male and chick were filmed in Hunters Hill, NSW over December 2016. The footage can be considered as the latest chapter in several years of observation of (presumably) the same bonded pair and their yearly broods.
Interestingly, our local pair nested late in 2016 compared to previous years. Fledging occurred on Christmas Eve. Usually we see fledglings around mid November, including that of another pair near Tarban Creek Gladesville in 2016. And this time our pair raised one chick instead of the typical two. As this nest was the only one of theirs we sighted in 2016 we can’t be sure if it’s a second attempt after some sort of failure or change of plans, or their one and only nest for the breeding season. What might be relevant is that their usual nesting tree on our block was indirectly affected by the June east coast low. A protective line of conifers all came down! Many thanks to the SES; they were amazing.
This new nesting site is further away from us (on boundary of Thorn Reserve) but in a direct line of sight from our deck and main bedroom window. The nesting site of the previous two years was way above us and thus difficult to film (except for those moments where older chicks peered down at us). We had given up on seeing our pair nest in 2016 after a quick look around in October/November; after all, they can be so difficult to see when not expected in a particular spot. One day in November we were looking at another bird in the vicinity of Thorn Reserve when a grey bump on the eucalypt came into view. Even then it wasn’t clear if the Tawny Frogmouth was roosting or nesting due to the subtlety of the nest structure. But binoculars confirmed an adult (male, from its appearance and our knowledge of behaviour) sitting on a nest. We were a little puzzled as we expected to see a sizable chick by then.
So every morning the first thing we would do is check our Tawny father from the window. On 1 December we saw the initial hints of white fluff, too small to capture. Thus the video starts at 4 December. And yes, there was rapid growth in only a few days! While we didn’t film them every day, we followed their progress with binoculars. The way the father took care of this lone chick (possibly only one egg was fertile) was heart-warming. He was particularly protective in the early weeks. For instance, if any large bird strayed near (e.g. Australian Ravens or Kookaburras, albeit none seemed interested in the Tawny nest) he would stiffen into the distinctive Tawny pose (with the chick safely underneath him). He also delayed the swap-over (with the mother) until very late dusk (could barely see with binoculars but we didn’t want to disturb them with a powerful torch). When the chick was closer to fledging age he would leave the chick alone in the nest and start hunting early dusk; we witnessed feeding a few times (but far too dark for filming). He was also protective in high winds when the chick was on the young side or when it tried its first wing-stretching. Rather than being the usual impassive creature of incubation stage and normal day-roosting, he was responsive to the situation and the activities of the growing chick. We also saw him cover or shield the chick from the sun in the hotter parts of the day.
Note that the father is responsible for the incubation of eggs/care of the chick(s) in daylight hours. In the night the mother takes over and the father hunts for food. Gisela Kaplan observed her male Tawny Frogmouths feeding the female on the nest at night, but notes that others have seen shared care of eggs/chicks in the night time. We don’t know the pattern of our pair.
The dusk/evening before the fledging night we witnessed the chick fluttering from branch to branch not far from the nest. But the next morning both chick and father were both back in their usual nest position. That was the last nesting day. The following day the nest was empty. We had mixed feelings as we enjoyed watching them every day, knowing exactly where to find them. Moreover, initially we couldn’t see the family anywhere else. But later, movement in a eucalypt closer to our home caught our eye. It was the fledgling! Then we noticed both parents sitting next to it. As of writing (10 January) that’s the last we saw of them. But I’m sure we’ll catch up with the pair at least sometime. Eventually we will see them again as they move around their large territory. What a privilege to watch a Tawny Frogmouth grow from an egg to a fledgling!
For more information on this amazing species see www.birdsinback.... For further reading we highly recommend, Tawny Frogmouth by Gisela Kaplan.
thank you so much for sharing this video. Currently, I have a family of Frogmouths: mum, dad and the three chicks, in my back yard. So incredibly cute
Baby-Daddy baby sitting. What an awesome husband and dad.😊🤣
They look like some kind of fantasy creatures. Amazing.
Fascinating - so it was the Father that was sitting with the chicks in my yard recently. Beautiful :-)
Yes it was. We'll put up a description soon. Thank you.
2:35 what are those funny sounding birds? I love Australia. The best birds on the planet!
They are Australian Ravens.
I never even knew the father stayed around to care for the chick(s). The young has such a gaping maw. I love how fluffy it is.
Great sequence and dedication ...
Wonderfully atmospheric. I can practically feel the air! Fantastic video and an even more moving writeup. Thanks!
Thank you Hilton.
Wonderful footage. Thanks fir sharing
Glad you enjoyed it
what great parenting, we had a pair of parenting Frogmouths with their fledgling about a month ago and the fledgling looked like it was already fledged but they all stuck together for a while until separating. Thanks for sharing and what a nice little video showing the stages over the months of the chick. =)
darling baby bird!♡
man that juvenile frogmouth sure does grow fast
Wonderful footage. Thoroughly enjoyed watching!
Will be back to read the Notes when they appear.
It makes me wonder how the chick ever learns how to communicate in it's own calls.
Such silence from the parent every day and surrounded by calling crows/ravens, parrots and kookaburras calling out around it.
He's a great dad but a bit on the strong silent type side. No wonder bub yawns so often.
Thanks for the nice vid.
Wonderful to see them - thanks so much for sharing! :o)
Where is the mother?
Resting nearby. See details in the description.