Frogmouths: Odd-Looking - - Things - - From Australia

"Freaky Frogmouths (raw)"

Taletale, YouTube (September 5, 2007)
video, 2:16

"More birds! Tawny Frogmouths in the tree outside my kitchen window. Freaky, eh? They are nocturnal and sleep in the tree...."

"Frog Mouth Owl"

thombolt, YouTube (April 18, 2009)
video, 1:11

"Australian Frog Mouth Owl interacting with humans in the Featherdale Wildlife Park in Doonside...."

Someone in an online community is supposed to have said that frogmouths look like Muppets that found their way into the real world. I can't argue with that.

Despite looking like a mutant owl, appearance, frogmouths are birds of a different feather:

• Species: strigoides
• Genus: Podargus
• Family: Podargidae
• Order: Caprimulgiformes
• Class: Aves
• Phylum: Chordata
• Kingdom: Animalia
  (Australian Museum)

Owls are birds (aves), too, but apparently in a different order from frogmouths:

• Family: Tytonidae
• Order: Strigiformes
• Class: Aves
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Phylum: Chordata
• Kingdom: Animalia
  (Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

More:

• "Tawny Frogmouth "
  Australian Museum
• "Tawny Frogmouth"
  Amazing Animals, Australia Zoo

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A tip of the hat to my #1 daughter, who discussed frogmouths with me this weekend, and mentioned the Muppet connection.