Tawny frogmouth quintet
Wildlife Care
“…we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance.”
During her stay with us, Cobalt Swivels took wee Pixel under their wing from the moment they met. It was also, despite their collective stillness, quite tricky to get a photo of the pair of them, for every time we stepped into the enclosure, they both opened their mouths to make a classic frogmouth-shape, and silently impart, ‘mouse, please’. Cobalt and Pixel were always ready for a feast.
Pixel nuzzled into Cobalt’s side, responding to their every movement like an understudy. Together, the insects stood little chance against a super team of camouflaged snappers, with the inside of their mouths, a luminous beacon.
Pixel and Cobalt Swivels were soon joined by Dandelion, who, as their Tiny but Wild name imparts, was in the process of growing into their form. Little wisps, like a dandelion, were giving over to darker feathers. It was marvellous to watch the duo expand to become a trio and to see them engage with each other.
Pictured below, Dandelion, at the beginning of his/her journey alongside additional images of William Henry Fox Talbot’s Dandelion Seeds, 1858 or later, photogravure (photoglyphic engraving from a copper plate; sheet: 15.1 x 11.3 cm; plate: 12.5 x 9.4 cm; image: 10.5 x 7.6 cm, via The Metropolitan Museum of Art); Jan van Oort’s Frog by a Dandelion with Flies, c. 1877–1938; and Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt’s Pisse Bloeme. / Dens Leonis / pisse en Lit (title on object), 1596–1610, (both via the Rijksmuseum).
Pause in the 90-seconds. To watch: the persistent squeak of the mister on a warm afternoon. Marvel at the incredible wingspan of Pixel, Dandelion, and Cobalt. (With thanks to Nic for the spritz tip and Wildlife Victoria for Cobalt and Pekka’s checkup at Tiny but Wild.)
The trio soon became a quartet with the arrival of another Tawny frogmouth. From the beautiful bristle, crackle, and glide of the previous night’s Legends and Luminaries with Pekka Kuusisto and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, we named them Pekka. They almost make a soft ‘Pekk-pekk-pekk’ sound as they communicate.
They came into care with a badly cut right eyelid, and matching mournful demeanour, but picked up (with medication, food, care, company, and time, that magic combination), and now read like a happy succession of notes. Naturally, the quartet soon swelled to a quintet with the swift arrival of another Tawny frogmouth. This time we plucked a name from the reflective revelation, Lucy Guerin’s Place Dances (at Buxton Contemporary), and named them Diagonal, in reference to a stage and a path taken. Weighing 211 grams, Diagonal, a little sweetheart from Wattle Wildlife Shelter, settled in all but immediately.
For the first couple of nights, Pekka and Diagonal slept in an indoor enclosure, and could be found in the morning, side-by-side perched atop a Halloween ghost softie from the local service station.
Second time’s a charm, that’s for sure. On Wednesday evening, we returned to the busy suburban spot where Cobalt had been found, and this time, she flew off instantly, strongly, and how! With an admirable, decisive air, we barely had time to open her travel basket.
When we’d tried earlier, a fortnight previous, she stayed on Louise’s arm and showed no signs of heading off (video from our first attempt at release), and we wondered if it was the location, the raven who appeared (and brought about a shape-shift), or she just needed a bit more time. (Her browner feathers, inconspicuous rufous malar stripe, and size indicate she could be a female.)
But on the successful, second attempt, as Louise scooped her out of the basket, she popped out her impressive wings in takeoff mode. From the basket on the grass, she flew in the direction of a tall gum tree across the road, and landed in a fork she appeared to know well. Home. To a chorus of lorikeets and noisy miners and cockatoos. She remained an impressive stick. She made a few ‘back off’ calls to the miners that came too close, but other than that, she seemed settled and home, visible and camouflaged, and ready for her next chapter.
Pictured below, earlier in her recovery journey, taking Dandelion and Pixel under her wing and they, too, offering her company and reassurance. She came into care one-month ago with concussion, having been found on the road, and as we marvelled at her speedy farewell, we’re so happy for her that she pulled through.
(Thank-you, Zan, for being Cobalt’s smooth chauffeur. It was lovely to share this with you, and the local twitchers out doing their Birdlife Australia Bird Count or curious as to just what the three of us were looking at length at, as we stood by the side of the road until it grew dark.)
Image credit: Tawny frogmouths in care at Tiny but Wild, from left to right, Cobalt, Dandelion, Pixel, Diagonal, and Pekka, October, 2026.
