Batrachostomus moniliger
Silhouette: Matt Wilkins · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The Sri Lanka frogmouth, Sri Lankan frogmouth or Ceylon frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger) is a small frogmouth found in the Western Ghats of south India and Sri Lanka. Related to the nightjars, it is nocturnal and is found in forest habitats. The plumage coloration resembles that of dried leaves and the bird roosts quietly on branches, making it difficult to see. Each has a favourite roost that it uses regularly unless disturbed. It has a distinctive call that is usually heard at dawn and dusk. The sexes differ slightly in plumage.
This bird reaches 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length. Like all frogmouths, this species has a wide and hooked bill with slit-like nostrils and the large head with eyes facing forward to provide a wide field of binocular vision. Compared to others of its genus it has small wings, which are distinguished by the wing coverts ending in black spots tipped with white. The male is gray-brown with fine barring and a spotted crown. Some males are browner and look more similar to females. The female is more rufous or chestnut brown. Indian female birds have very fine black speckles on the crown but Sri Lankan females may lack or may have reduced... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bird Kingdom | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ceylon Frogmouth sighting in Periyar National Park on a given day, based on 146 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 132nd most-seen of the 227 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.
January, June and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ceylon Frogmouth in Periyar National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May, July–August and October–December, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ceylon Frogmouth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Ceylon Frogmouth sightings, Periyar National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Sri Lanka, about 40%).
Same order: Caprimulgiformes
The closest relatives of the Ceylon Frogmouth that you can see in Periyar National Park (order Caprimulgiformes, Nightjars and Allies) are Great Eared-Nightjar (about 10%) and Jerdon's Nightjar (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ceylon Frogmouth is recorded against all the birds logged in Periyar National Park (146 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.
