Animalia Life
Podargus ocellatus
SUBFAMILY
Podarginae
TAXONOMY
Podargus ocellatus Quoy and Gaimard, 1830, Arfak Peninsula,
New Guinea. Six subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Little Papuan or plumed frogmouth; French: Podarge
ocellй; German: Marmorschwalm; Spanish: Podargo Ocelado.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
15–19 in (37–48 cm); 4.6–10.1 oz (130–286 g). Upperparts of
males vary from dull gray-brown to deep rufous with varying
amounts of streaks, marbling, and spots; underparts often have
whitish barring and longitudinal dark streaks. Females are often
darker than males.
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern Australia, New Guinea and satellite islands, north
Solomon Islands.
HABITAT
Forests, rarely plantations.
BEHAVIOR
Usually roosts in thick vegetation during day, active in territory
only at night. Pair defends territory with song and calls, backed
up by bill-snapping when intruding birds enter territory.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Sallies to catch mainly insect prey from ground and tree trunks,
using succession of perches on tree branches and stumps.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeding season in Australia from August to December, with a
single brood each year. Nest is small platform in tree, with one
or occasionally two white eggs. Male known to incubate and
brood small young during day. Fledging period at least 31 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened overall but rare in Australia.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
Photo Gallery of - Marbled frogmouth
