Study finds tawny frogmouth is the most Instagrammable bird
By Jennifer McMillan 12 May 2021
Move over Magpies. New research finds tawny frogmouth to be the ‘most Instagrammable’ bird in the world.
It might come as a surprise to some that the bird who mimics a dead tree branch is the hottest bird on the ’gram, but science doesn’t lie. The study by German researchers Dr Katja Thömmes and Dr Gregor Hayn-Leichsenring set out to answer the question: what makes a good bird photo? The study analysed nearly 30,000 bird photos from popular Instagram accounts using an algorithm to see which photos attracted the most ‘likes’.
The tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is found throughout Australia, including Tasmania. They are masters of camouflage with their speckled grey, white, black and rufous plumage. Often confused with owls, they are actually more closely related to Nightjars. Their stocky heads and big yellow eyes can make them appear angry; it’s been referred to as “resting bird face” in The New York Times.
Other popular Instagram influencers of the bird world include colourful pigeons and an African with a punk hairstyle. For all the bird fans, feast your eyes on the top nine Instagram pages from the study:
Jen worked as a vet nurse while studying environmental science and completing her master's degree in Journalism. She loves bushwalking, storytelling, caring for baby animals, Australian birds and river red gums. Jen works on the National Tree Day campaign and Planet Ark's Seedling Bank.
