The Australian nocturnal bird called the “frogmouth” that resembles a broken branch is the tawny frogmouth.
Native to mainland Australia and Tasmania, the tawny frogmouth is a stocky, big-headed bird often mistaken for an owl. It is not an owl: frogmouths belong to a separate group of nocturnal birds related to potoos, oilbirds, owlet-nightjars, and true nightjars.
Its mottled gray, brown, black, and white plumage breaks up the bird’s outline. During the day, it perches stiffly on a branch, tilts its head upward, and chooses a spot that already looks damaged or fractured. This posture and camouflage can make it nearly indistinguishable from the tree.
At night, tawny frogmouths pounce from low perches to capture moths, beetles, spiders, worms, snails, and occasionally small vertebrates. Their deep, repeated “oom-oom-oom” calls are another reason people sometimes mistake them for owls. Pairs commonly remain together for many years, and both parents help incubate the eggs and care for the young.