I had no idea that there was such a thing as a Tawny Frogmouth until Nick Gollattscheck from Sea World sent these pictures to me. Turns out they’re not only cute when they are adults, but they’re cute when they’re first hatched as well. Nick also included some info on these yummy little chick peas:
ORLANDO, FL (FEB 18, 2009) — BIRDS OF A FEATHER GROW UP TOGETHER — Already showing the large, frog-like mouths that give the species its name, Hoover (above, L) and Sawyer (above, R) are tawny frogmouth chicks that were hatched at SeaWorld Orlando last month. Until recently, the population of tawny frogmouths in North American zoos was facing extinction and breeding programs were largely unsuccessful. SeaWorld worked with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to develop a breeding program to help sustain the species’ growth. And, the program is showing early success — in less than a year, six chicks have been hatched and all are now thriving at the park. Frogmouths are native to the forested savannas and open woodlands of Australia. When fully grown, the insect-eating birds will be between 9 and 21 inches tall. To learn more about tawny frogmouths and other animals, explore SeaWorld.org.
Thanks, Nick for sending these in.
Photo credit: Jason Collier, SeaWorld Orlando
too cute for words.
Yay! I saw these in the zoo in AU last year when we were there. They’re cute as adults, as well, but look far more serious then…
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