Hodgson’s Frogmouth Batrachostomus hodgsoni is rarely seen resident of evergreen subtropical forests of southwest Yunnan. HABITAT & BEHAVIOR Roosts in trees by day, its posture upright and motionless, its plumage mimicking lichen-spotted bark. Hawks large insects at night, using its enormous gape to capture prey, taking it in the air or from the ground and swallowing it whole. ID Strongly dimorphic sexually, with male’s plumage especially resembling bark. Base color rufous-brown with heavy black and white markings. White markings form eyebrows that often meet on rear-crown. Band on scapulars and nuchal collar in both sexes. Male underparts whitish with irregular rufous-brown and black markings (usually forming band on upper breast). Female more uniformly rufous but has black-tipped white feathers on underparts forming a pearly breast band. BARE PARTS Bill brownish; feet pinkish-brown; iris yellow. VOICE Calls include harsh gwaa call, slightly ascending in pitch, and a more melancholy whistling call, descending then ascending abruptly at the end. — Craig Brelsford
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Daniel Bengtsson served as chief ornithological consultant for Craig Brelsford’s Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, from which this species description is drawn.
