Tawny Frogmouth Chick Picks A Name at Adelaide Zoo

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: January 26, 2022 9:00 pm

Meet Groot! The tawny frogmouth chick hatched last year at Adelaide Zoo helped keepers to select his name.

Photo Credit: Zoos SA

A tawny frogmouth chick being raised by keepers at Adelaide Zoo has helped to choose its own name.

Keepers presented the chick two bowls filled with mealworms and a name. One read Groot and the other Barkley. Following careful consideration the chick settled on Groot taking a beak full of mealworms in the process.

Senior Keeper of Birds and Free Flight, Chad Crittle, said the two names reflected its species tawny plumage and ability to camouflage in surrounding trees.

“Tawny Frogmouth are the masters of camouflage, their feathers have an incredible pattern to blend in with trees and protect them from predators,” he said.

“Our final names for selection were Barkley, to reflect the bark patterns in its plumage, and Groot after the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book character who is a tree.

“We were excited to see which one the chick would pick. As it was hand-raised in the Variety Children’s Zoo Nursery, it is used to eating from the bowls.

“When we presented them to the chick we placed a name in each bowl so it could decide. It was quite keen and selected Groot as the winner!”

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In recent weeks Groot has begun practicing flying and once fully fledged he will make his way in to an aviary. As yet keepers are unsure of his gender. A feather sample will be sent off to determine this in coming weeks.

“Groot has been doing really well and getting better with flying,” Chad said. “Like anyone on their L-plates, Groot is still practicing but is doing a great job.”

Tawny frogmouths are nocturnal birds which naturally occur in Australia. At birth they have thick, fluffy down which is replaced with the brown tree like plumage as they grow. This allows the adults to blend in perfectly with the trees.

Learn more about Tawny Frogmouths here – Tawny Frogmouth Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Adelaide Zoo on their website – Adelaide Zoo