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The Eared Frog-mouth. (Genus: Batrachostomus.)
In India, the Malay Archipelago, and Australia, there are several species of birds related to the Nightjar, but with the mouth so much enlarged that they have been given the name of Frog-mouth. One of the most remarkable is the species shown, which is common in India, and to which the name is most appropriate. The bird is nocturnal in its habits, hiding and sleeping by day in the thicker parts of the jungle, and coming out at dusk to hawk for night-flying moths and other insects. Its almost silent flight, large eyes, and soft mottled plumage with the distinct ear-tufts give it a superficial resemblance to the owls.