Dulit frogmouth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dulit frogmouth
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Caprimulgiformes
Family:	Podargidae
Genus:	Batrachostomus
Species:	B. harterti
Binomial name
Batrachostomus harterti Sharpe, 1892
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The Dulit frogmouth (Batrachostomus harterti) is a special kind of bird that belongs to the frogmouth family. It's not very well known and lives in the mountain forests of northern and central Borneo. This bird is found only in Borneo.

How the Dulit Frogmouth Got Its Name

This bird was first discovered in 1891 by a person named Charles Hose. He found the first one on Mount Dulit in northern Sarawak, which is why it's called the Dulit frogmouth. The bird flew into a small jungle hut at dusk, probably because it was attracted to the light. The second part of its scientific name, harterti, honors a German bird expert named Ernst Hartert.

What Does the Dulit Frogmouth Look Like?

The Dulit frogmouth is a fairly large bird, usually about 32 to 37 centimeters (about 12 to 14.5 inches) long. It's a dark, chestnut-brown color. Its wings are about 22 to 25 centimeters (8.5 to 10 inches) long.

It has some cool markings:

• Its head has light, buff-colored stripes.
• There's a thin, buff-colored band on the back of its neck.
• Its wing feathers have big white spots.
• Its belly and chest are a lighter brown with buff stripes and spots.

Both male and female Dulit frogmouths look very similar.

Dulit Frogmouth vs. Large Frogmouth

The only other frogmouth in Borneo that's similar in size is the large frogmouth (B. auritus). The Dulit frogmouth and the large frogmouth are very closely related. The large frogmouth is a bit bigger (39 to 42 cm long) and lighter in color. Its head has spots and wavy lines instead of stripes, and its wing feathers have more spots. Also, its underside is plainer. No other frogmouth in Borneo is longer than 30 centimeters.

What Does It Sound Like?

We don't know for sure what the Dulit frogmouth's call sounds like. However, a researcher named Tom Harrisson once recorded a call in the Kelabit Highlands that he thought was from this bird. He described it as "tuab tuab." The local people, the Kelabit, call this frogmouth Tu’ub or Suit tu’ub.

Where Does the Dulit Frogmouth Live?

This bird lives only in Borneo. We only know of eight museum examples of this bird. These were found in places like Mount Dulit, the Usun Apau Plateau, and the Kelabit Highlands in Sarawak, and Mount Liang Kubung in West Kalimantan. It has also been seen near Poring in the Kinabalu National Park in Sabah.

It likes to live in lower mountain forests, both old, untouched forests and forests that have grown back. It prefers areas between 300 and 1500 meters (about 980 to 4,900 feet) above sea level. On Mount Dulit, the Dulit frogmouth lives at higher elevations, while the large frogmouth lives lower down.

What Do We Know About Its Life?

We don't know much about how the Dulit frogmouth raises its young or what it eats. One female bird found on November 19 was ready to lay eggs. Another bird found in the Kelabit Highlands had a stomach full of locusts or grasshoppers, so we know they eat insects.

Protecting the Dulit Frogmouth

The area where the Dulit frogmouth lives is estimated to be about 127,000 square kilometers (about 49,000 square miles), but this area is getting smaller. The bird is found only in the Bornean Mountains, which is an important area for unique birds. Its home is threatened by logging (cutting down trees) and turning forests into farmland.

Because of these threats, BirdLife International considers the Dulit frogmouth to be "Near Threatened." This means it could become endangered if we don't protect it. To help this bird, experts suggest studying its life more and protecting the forests where it lives.