Sri Lanka Frogmouth

Batrachostomus moniliger

Looks exactly like a broken branch by day, hunts moths by night. Your message hides in plain sight.

Population: Global population size unquantified; described as local/uncommon in southern India and common in Sri Lanka, with a stable trend
Habitat: Tropical/subtropical evergreen forest with dense undergrowth, from lowlands up to about 1,800 m elevation; also uses heavily degraded former forest and plantations
Fun fact: When alarmed, the Sri Lanka Frogmouth freezes and points its bill straight up, using its mottled bark-like plumage to mimic a jagged broken branch rather than fleeing from a threat.
Range: Western Ghats of southwestern India and the island of Sri Lanka (Extent of Occurrence ~319,000 km²)
Diet: Insects, caught in short sallying flights from a perch or gleaned from foliage, branches, and the ground
Size: 0.23 m

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