Meet Healesville Sanctuary’s new ‘Muppet’ tawny frogmouth chicks

Normally the masters of disguise, two new tawny frogmouth chicks are turning heads at Healesville Sanctuary with their Muppet-like appearance.

The fluff balls are the fourth clutch* for dad Kermit and mum Tiny, who are keeping a watchful side-eye over the pair in a behind-the-scenes habitat* called Grandma’s Garden.

The chicks hatched three days apart in September, and Healesville Sanctuary tawny frogmouth keeper Louise Tegg said Tiny and Kermit were already loving parents.

“Kermit does the bulk of the work during the day,” Ms Tegg said. “He will sit on the nest, feeding those chicks regularly and then mum will swap in to take care of the chicks in the afternoon. Then they do regular changeovers at night.”

Despite their attentive parenting skills, keepers have had to lend an extra hand.

“Tawny frogmouths are not the most amazing nest builders,” Ms Tegg said. “They tend to just throw a few sticks together in a crosshatch* and hope for the best. So we’ve reinforced* the nest to keep the chicks nice and safe.

The youngsters are rapidly gaining weight, with their parents providing plenty of insects to eat, including mealworms, cockroaches and even a huntsman spider.

Kermit and Tiny have been spotted eating the cracked eggshells to boost their own calcium*.

Regular weight checks allow keepers to ensure the chicks are growing properly, that their feathers are coming in and that they are healthy during their early development.

Zoos Victoria members have the chance to name the delightful duo with a short-list inspired by frogs and Woi wurrung* language. The names include Banjo (Banjo frog), Pobblebonk (frog), Spencer (Litoria Spenceri – spotted tree frog), Watson (Watson’s tree frog), Peron (Peron’s tree frog) and Djinith (Woi wurrung name djinith-djinith for tawny frogmouth).

Tawny Frogmouths are a carnivorous* nocturnal* bird. Due to their appearance, they often are mistaken for owls, however, they belong to the nightjar* family. Breeding pairs generally mate for life and can stay in the same area for 10 years, so it’s common to see a couple in your local neighbourhood for many years.

According to the IUCN* Red List of Threatened Species, tawny frogmouths are classified as of least concern* with a stable population. They live in forest, shrub land and grassland across Australia.

Healesville’s Tawny Frogmouth Experience is currently the only way for visitors to see the chicks up close. For more information, head to zoo.org.au/healesville/whats-on/animal experiences/

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POLL

GLOSSARY

• clutch: a set of eggs laid at one time
• habitat: a shelter that has been specially designed for housing wild animals in a zoo or wildlife sanctuary that mimics the species’ preferred natural environment
• crosshatch: a nest made of sticks that have been loosely woven together in a crisscross pattern
• reinforced: made stronger
• calcium: a mineral stored in the bones and teeth that we get through food
• Woi wurrung: the language and name of the First Nations people of the Yarra river region in Central Victoria
• carnivorous: meat eaters
• nocturnal: hunt at night and sleep during the day
• nightjar: a type of nocturnal bird that eats insects. There are about 60-70 species of bird that fall within the nightjar classification
• IUCN: the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global network of organisations that work together on environmental issues. The IUCN has a Red List of Threatened Species, which rates the risk of extinction for threatened species across the world using a classification system
• least concern: meaning a species is widespread and not currently at risk of extinction

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QUICK QUIZ
1. Why have keepers given tawny frogmouth parents Kermit and Tiny a helping hand with their nest?
2. What insects have the youngsters been eating?
3. Why have the parents eaten the cracked egg shells?
4. What type of birds are tawny frogmouths?
5. Are tawny frogmouths considered endangered?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Parenting baby chicks
Kermit and Tiny are the dad and mum of these cute tawny frogmouth chicks. How would you rate their parenting so far after reading the Kids News article?

What skills are they demonstrating to prove they are good parents?
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Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Your teacher can help your class vote for your favourite names for these cute little chicks by visiting Zoos Victoria at zoo.org.au/member-zone/tawny-frogmouth-chicks/

Time: allow 5 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Digital Technologies, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Animal alliterations
With a partner, choose one of the pictures from the article.

Make a list of nouns you could use to name the animal in the picture. For example, instead of a tiger, you could also say cat, or feline.

Pick your favourite noun and identify its initial sound — what sound it starts with, not necessarily what letter.

Now, using the initial sound, make a list of adjectives to describe the animal. Try to be specific. Don’t just look at the animal as a whole, look at their different features as well.

Build on these same sound words, and add any verbs and adverbs you could use to describe the animal and their movements.

Try to put it all together and use as many same sound words in a sentence, to create an alliteration about the animal in the picture. For example: the terrifying tiger, tiptoed through tangled trees chasing his prey.