Frogmouths spend the day perched motionless, looking exactly like a broken branch. Pairs often roost side by side and may use the same spot for weeks, so local naturalists can usually show them to guests without disturbance.
Species guide
Sri Lanka Frogmouth
Batrachostomus moniliger
Status
Specialty
Habitat
Dense, shaded thickets
When to look
Day roosts · year-round
Field notes
Photography note
Photos on this page are placeholders and will be replaced with the lodge’s own photography. Ask our naturalists about ethical photography of this species.
Keep exploring
More from the species guide
Endemic
Glaucidium castanotum
A small owl that hunts by day as well as by night, often found close to the lodge.
Forest edge and tall trees
Endemic
Otus thilohoffmanni
Only described to science in 2004, this tiny owl is a prize for any visiting birder.
Dense lowland rainforest understorey
Resident
Bubo nipalensis
A huge forest owl, linked in Sri Lankan folklore to the eerie call of the “devil bird”.
Mature forest
Endemic
Urocissa ornata
The emblem of Sinharaja: noisy family groups that often travel with mixed flocks.
Rainforest canopy and edges