Hodgson's frogmouth is a species of bird in the family Podargidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from the eastern Himalayan foothills through northeastern India and Bhutan into Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China (Yunnan), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It favors dense evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, often with bamboo and tangled understory. Birds also use secondary growth, forest edges, and streamside thickets where cover is abundant. By day it roosts motionless in shaded interior forest, becoming active at dusk. It is generally sedentary with only local movements.
Altitude Range
100–1800 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A master of camouflage, Hodgson's frogmouth often roosts lengthwise along a branch, mimicking broken wood. Named after naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson, it uses a wide, frog-like gape to snatch moths and other insects in the dark. The species builds a tiny, flimsy nest on a horizontal branch and typically lays a single egg.
Temperament
secretive and nocturnal
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief low glides
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs. Pairs maintain small territories and roost on horizontal branches where they adopt a stiff, elongate posture. The nest is a small pad of fibers, lichens, and moss on a branch, typically holding a single egg; the male often incubates by day.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of soft, low hoots and repeated uk-uk or whoo-uk notes, often delivered from a concealed perch at night. Calls can accelerate or form short sequences, with the female giving slightly higher-pitched notes.
Plumage
Cryptic, mottled plumage with intricate browns, rufous, grey, and black barring that resembles bark; often shows a rufous morph. Feathers are soft and loose for silent flight, with short bristles around the bill. Underparts are finely barred and mottled.
Diet
Primarily feeds on nocturnal insects such as moths, beetles, grasshoppers, and cicadas. It hunts by sit-and-wait from a low to mid-level perch, sallying out to hawk prey in short bursts. It may also glean prey from foliage or the ground when disturbed. The wide gape and sensitive bristles aid in capturing flying insects in low light.
Preferred Environment
Forages along forest edges, clearings, and along trails or streams within dense forest. Prefers areas with scattered open gaps for short sallies but with abundant nearby cover for roosting.
