Muppet, the Tawny Frogmouth chick
Image: Alan Henderson
Source: Museum Victoria
The DNA results are in on Muppet: our young Tawny Frogmouth is a strapping young lad!
Vanessa White from the Museum’s Molecular Biology Department was able to take DNA from one of Muppet’s feathers in order to conclusively determine his sex.
Muppet will be four months old in March, and is due to ‘leave the nest’ here at the Museum shortly. He will be flying up to Brisbane’s Alma Park Zoo, where he is to take a starring educational role in their visitor presentations.
A recent side-effect of Muppet’s new-found maturity is that he has become somewhat camera-shy. As he now prefers to spend his time in the higher reaches of the Forest Gallery, this week’s photo is taken from his baby album, back when he was still a fluffy chick.