Philippine Frogmouth [HD]

A sure way to rouse a sleeping birder out of his/her sleep is to yell out a sighting of a special endemic nocturnal like  this stunning Philippine Frogmouth. This uncommon Philippine endemic is a regular in Mt. Kitanglad Range National Park in Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines but can also be found in Luzon and satellite islands, Bohol, Leyte and Samar, and Negros and Panay. Philippine Frogmouth, Batrachostomus septimus July 2011, Mt. Kitanglad Range, Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines

It is a strictly nocturnal bird and has a smallish hooked bill and a wide mouth like a frog (check it out at around 1:05 in the video) used in hunting for insects, flying out from a perch to catch its prey on the wing. The long bristles extending from the face (seen clearly in this photo) as well as the base of the bill are thought to protect the eyes from prey and also to detect subtle movements in its forest environment.

It is also possible to see it during the day especially if you get lucky and flush one out (like this one from PICOP, Bislig, Surigao also in Mindanao)

Sometimes, you get really lucky and find the classic daytime frogmouth pose on a nest! This photo of the frogmouth trying to look like a broken branch was taken in Raja Sikatuna Protected Landscape in the laid-back island of Bohol in South Central Philippines. 

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