The general plumage of the Tawny Frogmouth is silver-grey, slightly paler below, streaked and mottled with black and rufous. The eye is yellow in both forms, and the wide, heavy bill is olive-grey to blackish. Tawny Frogmouths are nocturnal birds. During the day, they perch on tree branches, often low down, with a rigid branch-like posture.