Tawny frogmouths have very large eyes and an excellent sense of hearing, which help them locate prey in the dark. At the base the beak are tufts of stiff feathers called rictal bristles. These may help to detect the movement of prey such as flying insects (though this has not been proven). It has been observed that these bristles help protect the frogmouth’s face and eyes from its prey. For example, if it catches a large centipede in the side of its beak, the centipede gets tangled in the bristles and can’t bite or sting the frogmouth. The pattern of streaking on their feathers provides excellent camouflage as they are roosting. If they remain perfectly still, they look exactly like a dead branch. If the frogmouth does feel threatened, it opens its beak, revealing the bright yellow lining, and threatens with loud clacking sounds.
Although its feet are small, they shouldn’t be described as ‘weak’. They’re exceptionally well-padded with scales, and support the full weight of the bird throughout the many hours that it spends roosting.