The Tawny Frogmouth Poem by Francis Duggan

From lamp of sun he hide himself away
And in timbered country rest during the day
And his camouflage so good 'twould seem that he
Is decaying wood that fork from branch of tree.

As darkness fall from hiding he fly out
And in search of small prey hunt the woods about
And with skink and mouse and insect in his diet
He fill his crop under the cloak of night.

Living in woods throughout Australia north, west, east to south
An owl like bird is the tawny frogmouth
But he lack big eyes and round face of the owl
And all in all a different sort of fowl.

With mottled feathers darkish brown to gray
From lamp of sun he hide himself away
And he fly out when woods are dark and quiet
And hunt for food under the cloak of night.