The Tawny Frogmouth is Australia’s 2025 Bird of the Year

The Tawny Frogmouth takes the title as Australia’s 2025 Bird of the Year

Is it an owl? Is it a log? No! It’s your 2025 Bird of the Year winner, the Tawny Frogmouth.

After three years placing runner-up, the Tawny Frogmouth has finally claimed the title as the country’s 2025 Bird of the Year, earing the adoration (and votes) of bird lovers across the country.

They’re not shocked, you are!

Video source: WIRES

Winning with a whopping 11,851 votes, the world’s most Instagrammable bird has finally cemented its status, with the Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo and Gang-gang Cockatoo close behind in second and third place.

What makes the Tawny Frogmouth so special?

Equal parts strange and endearing, the Tawny Frogmouth seems to have struck a cultural chord. With their big eyes, downturned beak and perpetually surprised faces, they’ve become an online favourite – part of a broader celebration of the weirdly cute (think Labubu).

“Anything cute and cuddly evokes something in human nature – and particularly anything with big eyes,” – wildlife photographer Graeme Purdy, BBC

Cute and camouflaged

Often mistaken for owls, Tawny Frogmouths are actually more closely related to nightjars and even hummingbirds. They’re found across Australia, from bushland to suburban gardens, and feed on a varied diet of insects, rodents, reptiles and frogs.

During the day, they blend into their surroundings by perching motionless on branches, stretching their bodies upward and closing their eyes to resemble a broken limb. Their silvery-grey plumage mimics tree bark so convincingly that you could easily walk right past one without realising it’s there.

Growing threats for Tawnies

While the Tawny Frogmouth remains common and widespread across the country, they face growing threats from habitat clearing and poisoning from some kinds of commonly used rodenticides, an issue affecting many nocturnal hunters.

The Tawny Frogmouth’s Bird of the Year win is a reminder that even our most beloved and familiar backyard birds need our support.

If you loved the Bird of the Year poll, we think you’ll love our Aussie Bird Count! Join in the fun from 20-26 October by registering as a counter today.