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Re: Keeping the Tawny Frogmouth, with Notes on Natural Histo
Posted: 28 Aug 2012, 03:42
by findi
Jayburd wrote:When I was four and lived in the hills above Perth, we had a family that bred most years in our front yard. Whenever we had guests over, I'd ask how many birds were in the tree - the rousounding answer being none! and yet there they were, three tawnies sitting right there in plain sight. Masters of disguise from birth!!
Found out an interesting thing (which most people already know I suppose), they have notched eyelids - they can keep their eyes shut and still see us! Brilliant.
Great observation and interesting bit of info, thanks very much.
Gerard Durrell has always been an inspiration to me as well; long story, but he helped, in a roundabout way, to land me a job at the Bx Zoo! Best, Frank
Re: Keeping the Tawny Frogmouth, with Notes on Natural Histo
Posted: 18 Sep 2012, 20:53
by MadHatter
Jayburd wrote:...they have notched eyelids - they can keep their eyes shut and still see us! Brilliant.
I always thought this was a unique feature of the Potoos (the Frogmouth's South-American cousins)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyctibiidae
My assumption was that the Frogmouth solved the same problem by the simple expedient of just keeping his eyelids very slightly open. I shall have to take a closer look next time I happen to have one in the hand...
Re: Keeping the Tawny Frogmouth, with Notes on Natural Histo
Posted: 19 Sep 2012, 02:07
by findi
Thanks for your note...potoos are so interesting as well. I had the good fortune of seeing a few in Venezuela (injured birds, kept as pets) but there are not many in US zoos, as far as I know. Please keep me posted, Best, Frank