About the Sumatran Frogmouth
The Sumatran frogmouth, also known as the short-tailed frogmouth and the pale-faced frogmouth, is a nocturnal bird belonging to the family Podargidae. It is endemic to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
B. poliolophus has a large, arched bill with a light-brown to straw-yellow color. Its face is adorned with bristles, mainly on the forehead and ear coverts. It can be distinguished from other frogmouths by its tail, which is considerably shorter than its wings. It is sexually dimorphic. Males are mostly a dull dark brown with some black speckling and have a collar of white to pale buff feathers. Their underside is a lighter brown with black bars. A pattern of cream-buff spots covers the throat, sometimes extending to the breast and belly. Voice: The vocalization of this species has been described as an undulating whistling accompanied by 5–7 notes ("wa") with a descending pitch. Other calls include repeated and wavering "weeeow" notes, as well as a repeated, high pitched whistle sound ("tsiutsiu"). Some sources describe these vocalizations as having a wheezing or asthmatic quality.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in July · a winter visitor species across most of its range
Easily confused with
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