The frogmouth is a unique and fascinating nocturnal bird found across Australia, New Guinea, and parts of southeast Asia. Known for their large, flattened bill and incredibly wide mouth, frogmouths are masters of camouflage and sit motionless during the day to avoid detection from predators. When night falls, frogmouths become active and begin making a variety of noises as part of their breeding and territorial behaviors. So what exactly are the noises that a frogmouth makes? Read on to learn more about the various vocalizations of this charismatic bird of the night.
Primary Calls
The most common and recognizable noise made by frogmouths is their low, resonant “oom” or “ooom” call. This far-carrying call is most frequently made by males during breeding season to attract mates and establish territory. The low-pitched “oom” is thought to travel farther through dense forests at night compared to higher pitched sounds. Females will also make this call, but at a higher pitch than the males. Frogmouths can repeat this singular note over and over through the night, with some birds delivering hundreds of “oom” calls per hour. This repetitive vocalization helps frogmouths connect with mates and ward off competing males.
Other Vocalizations
In addition to the primary “oom” call, frogmouths make a variety of other noises for different purposes:
Alarm Calls
When disturbed by an intruder or potential threat, frogmouths will make a harsh hissing or barking sound. This functions as an alarm call to scare off the disturbance and alert other frogmouths in the area. The alarm call is louder and more urgent sounding compared to their typical low hoots.
Begging Calls
Frogmouth chicks and fledglings will make loud, raspy begging calls when hungry or seeking food from their parents. These begging calls help the parents locate the young birds in the dense foliage of their nest sites. As the chicks mature, their begging calls gradually sound more like adult vocalizations.
Contact Calls
Frogmouths use soft, murmured “hu hu” or “huoo” contact calls to keep in touch with their mate or family group while moving around at night. These contact calls likely help frogmouths keep track of each other and coordinate activities like group hunting.
Bill Clapping
As part of their territorial displays, male frogmouths will sometimes rapidly clap their bills together to create a loud, snapping sound. Combined with hooting, bill clapping advertises the male’s dominance and breeding fitness. Frogmouths may also bill clap in response to threats.
When are Frogmouths Most Vocal?
Frogmouth vocal activity peaks during the breeding season, which occurs from late fall to early winter in Australia. As males begin staking their claim on nesting territories and attracting mates, the frequency of hooting escalates dramatically. Males may call almost continuously through the night during this time.
Calls are also more common right before dawn and dusk when frogmouths are switching between resting and active periods. Interestingly, vocal activity drops off significantly after mating and egg laying. However, the male continues guarding the nest site and will utilize alarm calls if necessary.
Do Frogmouths Make Noise During the Day?
Frogmouths are rarely vocal during daylight hours. Their muted daytime plumage and habit of remaining still and silent helps them blend into the trees and avoid detection by diurnal predators. However, if a sleeping frogmouth is approached or disturbed during the day, it may make an alarm call before taking flight. This helps startle potential predators and give the frogmouth a quick escape.
Variation Between Frogmouth Species
The characteristic low, resonant “oom” call is made by all 12 species of frogmouths. However, there are some subtle differences between the vocalizations of each species:
- Tawny frogmouths have a lower pitched, slower call.
- Marbled frogmouths have a slightly higher pitched call with a two-part structure.
- Papuan frogmouths have a very deep, reverberating call that carries long distances.
- Philippine frogmouths have a raspy, buzzing component to their call.
Scientists can analyze these variations in frogmouth vocalizations to help identify the species found in a particular habitat.
Do the Males and Females Sound Different?
There are distinguishable differences between the calls of male and female frogmouths within the same species. As mentioned before, the female’s call is higher pitched compared to the male’s low, resonating “oom.” Females also call at a faster rate while males space out their calls at slower intervals. These differences help frogmouths identify the sex of an individual bird during the breeding season when finding a mate is a priority.
Why Do Frogmouths Make These Noises?
Frogmouths vocalizations serve several important functions related to territory, courtship, and parental care:
- Attracting mates – The male’s continuous hooting helps attract females for breeding.
- Defending territory – Hooting also warns rival males to stay away.
- Communicating with mates and offspring – Contact calls help maintain pair bonds and keep chicks safe.
- Startling predators – Alarm calls scare off potential threats and facilitate escape.
By understanding frogmouth vocalizations, we gain greater insight into their complex breeding behaviors and social structure that is driven by seasonal, nocturnal activity patterns.
How Loud is a Frogmouth Call?
The volume of frogmouth calls can vary based on the situation. Males will deliver territorial hoots at around 70-75 decibels from a distance of 1 meter. This is about as loud as average human conversation. Alarm calls and begging chicks can reach 80-90 decibels when the situation is more urgent. For reference, this is similar to the volume of a garbage disposal or motorcycle engine running. The low pitch of the frogmouth’s voice allows it to be heard at greater distances without excessive volume.
How Far Can a Frogmouth Call Travel?
Under ideal nighttime conditions, the low frequency hoots of male frogmouths can carry up to 5 kilometers (over 3 miles) through the forest. This allows them to communicate with rivals, attract females, and defend territories spanning several square kilometers. Factors like temperature, humidity, foliage density, and topography impact how far sound travels in the frogmouth’s forested habitat. Higher pitched sounds don’t travel as far, so a female’s call may only reach 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away from potential mates.
What is the Structure and Pattern of Frogmouth Vocalizations?
The typical territorial male frogmouth call consists of a single, low-pitched “oom” note. However, during competitive breeding season interactions, males may elongate the call to “oooom” or repeat it rapidly in a series. The simple, minimalistic structure of the frogmouth hoot allows it to resonate widely through the forest. Short alarm calls and contact calls have a more complex structure with harsh, broadband noise elements. Begging calls feature drawn out, raspy notes in chaotic sequences. The pattern of frogmouth vocalizations is also important. Males can maintain a steady repetition rate of around one “oom” call every 2-3 seconds for hours on end. Changes in call rhythm can signify escalating aggression between competing males.
Do Frogmouths Ever Stay Silent?
Though frogmouths are very vocal at night during breeding season, they do go through periods of silence as well. As mentioned before, frogmouths are mostly quiet throughout the daylight hours. Their vocalizations drop off significantly after courtship and mating conclude too. Silence falls over frogmouth habitats once eggs are laid and parental duties like incubation begin. Remaining quiet helps keep predators away from vulnerable nest sites. Young frogmouths will also stay silent and still in the presence of danger as a defensive strategy. Overall, the vocal behavior of frogmouths is closely tied to their seasonal reproductive activities and nocturnal habits.
How Does Frogmouth Vocalization Develop in Chicks?
Frogmouth chicks start communicating with simple begging calls from a very early age. These raspy, squealing calls are innate and help guide the parents to deliver food. Within a few weeks, chicks develop more complex contact calls and alarm calls. Around 30 days old, fledglings will practice mimicking adult vocalizations with clumsy hoots and contact calls. Full adult-sounding vocalizations don’t emerge until closer to 2 months old as the syrinx and resonating chamber matures. Young frogmouths must learn how to appropriately use different vocalizations from their parents as they gain independence. This helps them eventually attract mates, defend territories, and raise chicks of their own.
Do Frogmouths Vocalize Outside of Breeding Season?
While peak vocal activity coincides with breeding season, frogmouths can still be quite vocal outside this period. Males maintain their territory boundaries year-round and will utilize hoots if intruders encroach on their range. Additionally, contact and alarm calls are made as needed throughout the year for maintaining pair bonds and detecting threats. However, overall vocal output is drastically reduced outside the frantic breeding and nesting time periods. Frogmouths spend more time silently roosting, conserving energy, and observing prey movements during non-breeding months. Their flexible vocal behaviors align with shifting seasonal priorities.
Where Can You Hear Frogmouths Calling in the Wild?
To hear frogmouth vocalizations in a natural setting, your best options are protected wilderness areas, national parks, and forest reserves throughout Australia, New Guinea, and southeast Asia. Some specific places to spot wild frogmouths include:
- Daintree National Park, Queensland, Australia – Home to marbled and tawny frogmouths.
- Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia – Has marbled and barking owls.
- Eungella National Park, Queensland – Known for a large population of tawny frogmouths.
- Kwongan Reserve, Western Australia – Contains a diversity of owlet-nightjars and frogmouths.
- Bako National Park, Borneo – Where the spots on Bornean frogmouths blend into lichen covered trees.
Within their range, frogmouths occupy rainforests, woodlands, mangroves, and scrublands. Focus your efforts at dawn and dusk when activity peaks. If you are lucky, you may hear the reverberating “oom” call or glimpse these masters of camouflage on their daytime roosts.
Tips for Photographing and Recording Frogmouths
Here are some tips for documenting frogmouth vocalizations and behavior in the wild:
- Use a directional microphone or parabolic dish – This allows you to isolate frogmouth calls and minimize background noise.
- Aim for dawn and dusk when frogmouths are most vocal.
- Focus on known nesting sites to capture territorial displays and interactions.
- Use a long telephoto lens and hide yourself to photograph natural behavior.
- Maintain a respectful distance to avoid startling roosting birds.
- Use a remote shutter trigger or video camera to prevent noise disruption.
- Return to the same sites across seasons to document changes in vocalizations.
Following these guidelines will help you gather important documentation of frogmouth ecology while ensuring ethical practices. Partnering with researchers is another great way to contribute to the study of these cryptic birds.
Frogmouth Call Identification Guide
Use this guide to identify frogmouth species by their distinct vocalizations:
Species | Primary Call Description | Audio Example |
---|---|---|
Tawny Frogmouth | Low-pitched “oom” at a rate of 20 notes per minute | [Link to audio clip] |
Marbled Frogmouth | Higher-pitched “oom-oo” call with two note structure | [Link to audio clip] |
Barking Owl | Distinctive dog-like bark usually repeated 3 to 4 times | [Link to audio clip] |
Papuan Frogmouth | Very deep, drawn out “boom” that resonates | [Link to audio clip] |
Philippine Frogmouth | Raspy “huoooom” call with buzzing quality | [Link to audio clip] |
Listen for these signature sounds to identify frogmouths in the field. With practice, you’ll be able to distinguish between species’ calls.
Frogmouth Call Playback Study
Scientists use audio playback studies to better understand frogmouth vocalizations and behavior. In one recent study, researchers played recorded frogmouth calls in the field and observed responses. Key findings included:
- Territorial male frogmouths approached speaker playing male “invader” calls.
- Frogmouths took longer to approach speakers with multiple species calls vs. a single species.
- Frogmouths responded more strongly to calls made during breeding season.
- Calls made at dawn elicited faster responses than those made at dusk.
This shows frogmouths can interpret the meaning of calls and may compete more fiercely at dawn. Playback studies provide insights into breeding, territoriality, and daily cycles.
Technology for Analyzing Frogmouth Vocalizations
Scientists use a variety of technologies for recording and analyzing frogmouth vocalizations in detail:
- Acoustic recording tags – miniature devices attached to wild frogmouths to monitor long-term calling activity.
- Sound spectrograms – visual representations of sound frequency and amplitude over time.
- Acoustic analysis software – computer programs that measure acoustic variables like pitch, intervals, and amplitude.
- Automated call recognizers – machine learning algorithms trained to detect and classify frogmouth calls.
- Statistical analysis – to compare variation within and between individual birds and populations.
These technologies are enabling breakthroughs in our understanding of frogmouth communication patterns and behavioral ecology. The data collected serves as a valuable tool for monitoring populations and guiding conservation.
Frogmouths in Culture and Folklore
The distinctive vocalizations and appearance of frogmouths have earned them a place in the myths and legends of indigenous cultures across Australia and southeast Asia:
- According to Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, frogmouth’s wide grinning mouth comes from their role as psychopomps – guides who carry the souls of the dead to the afterlife.
- In Queensland, legend tells of the god Marween creating frogmouth to watch over the forests and mimic the calls of evil spirits to expose and ridicule them.
- Melanesian mythology links frogmouths to love magic, with their calls invoking passion. However, hearing them during the day was seen as an ominous sign.
- Across many cultures, frogmouth calls are interpreted as omens signaling coming rain, pending death, or the presence of evil spirits in the dark.
The myths swirling around these nocturnal birds reflect the unease their night calls evoked in human imagination. Their cultural symbolism endures to this day.
Conclusion
The wide repertoire of frogmouth vocalizations plays a critical role in communication, territoriality, and courtship. From the iconic “oom” call of the male, to the raspy begging of chicks, to the barking alarm, the sounds of the night jungle come alive with frogmouth chatter. Researchers continue working to decode the meanings within these enigmatic birds’ calls using cutting-edge technology. Our improved understanding of frogmouth acoustics provides a window into their poorly-understood lifestyle and guides ongoing conservation. For those willing to stay up late, the haunting calls of the frogmouth still echo through the darkness just as they always have – inviting new generations to uncover their secrets.