The Sri Lanka frogmouth, Sri Lankan frogmouth or Ceylon frogmouth is a small frogmouth found in the Western Ghats of south India and Sri Lanka. Related to the nightjars, it is nocturnal and is found in forest habitats. The plumage coloration resembles that of dried leaves and the bird roosts quietly on branches, making it difficult to see. Each has a favourite roost that it uses regularly unless disturbed. It has a distinctive call that is usually heard at dawn and dusk. The sexes differ slightly in plumage.
Region
Western Ghats (India) and Sri Lanka
Typical Environment
Found in evergreen and moist deciduous forests, dense secondary growth, and well-wooded plantations adjacent to forest. It favors shaded understory with tangled vines, bamboo thickets, and edges of forest tracks where insects are abundant. By day it selects exposed yet twig-like perches to maximize camouflage, often near clearings or streamside vegetation. It avoids very open habitats but can persist in fragmented forest mosaics if cover remains.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A master of leaf-mimicry, it roosts motionless by day on thin branches, looking like a dead leaf or broken twig. Pairs often return to the same daytime perch for weeks. Bristle-like feathers around the gape help funnel and sense insect prey at night. Females are richer rufous while males are greyer and more finely mottled.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; weak, low flights between perches
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs that roost close together on a favored perch. Monogamous pairs defend small areas around roost and nest sites. The nest is a small pad of moss, bark, and fibers bound with spider webs on a horizontal branch, typically holding a single egg; both adults participate in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
At dusk and dawn the male gives a series of hollow, resonant uk-uk notes that accelerate and sometimes end with a wavering flourish. The female’s voice is higher and thinner, producing sharp, tremulous calls. Calls carry well through dense forest.
