Biology
Rigidipenna inexpectata © Chris Gooddie, www.pittasworld.com
As a secretive nocturnal species occurring on islands rarely visited by scientists, it is perhaps not surprising that very little is known about this bird’s ecology.
This frogmouth produces 2 types of vocalisation, presumably for territorial purposes, or contact, although it is not clear which of the sexes utters them. They are:
- a rapid series of descending whistles
- a series of short whistles that rise in pitch
The breeding biology of this species is almost completely unknown and its eggs have yet to be described.
The only nest found so far (August 1964) contained a single young that was estimated to be close to fledging (Schodde 1977). The nest platform was constructed from sticks and was built on a horizontal fork in a branch about 25 metres above the forest floor.
