Racine Zoo welcomes tawny frogmouth: 'We are excited'
RACINE, Wis. - There are now two tawny frogmouths at the Racine Zoo! The Zoo is pleased to introduce the newest animal to the zoo family – Groot, the tawny frogmouth! Groot joins the Zoo’s resident tawny frogmouth, Ashton, in the Australian-themed Walkabout Creek Exhibit, alongside kangaroos, wallaroos, and emu.
"We are excited to welcome Groot, Ashton’s brother, into our exhibit," said Angie Sagert, the Zoo’s Animal Care Supervisor and primary zookeeper for the Walkabout Creek exhibit. "We do our best to help the SSP whenever possible, and after consideration and discussion with SSP experts, determined we had plenty of space to house another frogmouth."
According to zoo officials, tawny frogmouths are named for their large beak, which they hold open like a net while swooping through the air at night to catch insects. They are also known for superb camouflage, where they will close their eyes and lift their beak skyward, making them virtually indistinguishable from the branches around them. It is this adaptation that earned Groot his name. Groot is settling in well, and keepers report that he has a friendly personality, fluffing up happily when keepers enter to care for him.
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You can visit Groot anytime down in Walkabout Creek.
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