The Tawny Frogmouth may be seen anywhere in Australia. It is often in a pair or family group.

It is a medium sized, night active, bird with mottled and streaked grey, brown, black and white plumage. It has a wide bill, weak legs and small feet. During the day it sleeps on a branch or in a fork. When alarmed it points its beak skyward and freezes. The call, given at night, is a soft, repeated, "oom-oom-oom"

Frogmouths hunt after dark, perching and then flying down to snap up insects, frogs and other small animals.

Male and female mate for life. They build a flimsy stick nest in a tree fork, incubate 1-3 white eggs for 28-32 days then feed the young.

Insecticides eaten with prey may be stored in a frogmouth's body fat. When this fat is used in cold weather the frogmouth may die.