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Chambers Wildlife
Rainforest Lodges |
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PAPUAN FROGMOUTH ·
In Australia the Papuan Frogmouth is restricted to
north Queensland. ·
It occurs in rainforests, mangroves and dense
riparian vegetation. · The Papuan Frogmouth is nocturnal, and is usually seen singly, but sometimes in pairs. · The male is greyish and the female is a little more reddish. · Owls, like many nocturnal animals, have good night vision, but rely also on their excellent hearing - up to four times better than any other animal tested - which allows some to hunt in complete darkness. Because their left and right ears are placed at different levels on their heads there is a slight difference in the time taken for a particular sound to reach each ear. This time-lag enables the owl to pinpoint the source of the sound more accurately. The higher ear has an opening facing downwards and is more sensitive to sounds from below. Feathers within the characteristic facial disc are positioned so as to funnel sound to the ears. Stiff feathers bordering the ear slits are attached to moveable flaps so an owl can change the shape of its ear opening and focus its hearing. (Source: Department of Environment) · Frogmouths have large eyes, giving them good night vision, wide gaping bills for feeding on insects and much weaker feet than owls. They are only distantly related to owls. (Source: Department of Environment) · Frogmouths flit from perch to perch, pouncing on prey which they detect by movement. Tawny frogmouths eat only nocturnal insects but Papuan frogmouths also catch lizards, frogs, rodents and small birds. (Source: Department of Environment) · Similar to the Tawny Frogmouth, the Papuan is larger and has red eyes. · Small numbers occur in rainforest around Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodge . |
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Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges |
