Tawny frogmouth chick, Australia
© SnapRapid/Offset by Shutterstoc
Why so grumpy?
We’re not quite sure why German researchers set out to determine the world's most Instagrammable bird. But once we saw it was this cute, fuzzy, slightly angry-looking creature, we had to feature it here. So, whoooo is this we're looking at? It might have the look of an owl about it but it's actually a tawny frogmouth, a nocturnal bird found throughout Australia. Tawny frogmouths are carnivores, eating nocturnal insects, worms, slugs and snails, as well as small mammals, reptiles, frogs and birds. Sometimes confused with owls, they're more closely related to nightjars.
The study, conducted by Katja Thömmes and Gregor Hayn-Leichsenring at the University Hospital Jena in Germany, analysed Instagram posts from bird-related accounts and determined that people responded to tawny frogmouths' unusual looks and amusing expressions. And who are we to argue with science?
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