Batrachostomus hodgsoni
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Hodgson's frogmouth (Batrachostomus hodgsoni) is a species of bird in the family Podargidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.
The common name is thought to commemorate the British naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson. This bird is part of the same clade as nightjars are. Members of both clades are nocturnal and they share similar rictal bristles on the bill which they use to know when to close their bill shut on insects as they hawk. This feature is just a hypothesis by scientists who do not completely understand the true use of those bristles yet. Frogmouths differ from its cousins by heavier bills, shorter and more rounded wings and upright posture when perched.
Hodgson's frogmouth is one of the smaller members of the family Podargidae. As an adult, its length ranges between 24.5 and 27.5 centimetres (9.6 and 10.8 in) and it weighs approximately 50 grams (1.8 oz). The plumage is mottled brown and gray, soft and cryptic, resembling tree bark. The physical appearance differs from other species by a heavier black marking above breast as well as no rufous on breast.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hodgson's Frogmouth sighting in Doi Inthanon National Park on a given day, based on 187 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 170th most-seen of the 367 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Hodgson's Frogmouth in Doi Inthanon National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to January, the lowest months. That is one of Doi Inthanon National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 340 mm in August.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hodgson's Frogmouth sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Hodgson's Frogmouth sightings, Doi Inthanon National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Namdapha National Park (India, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hodgson's Frogmouth is recorded against all the birds logged in Doi Inthanon National Park (187 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
