[order] Caprimulgiformes | [family] Nyctibiidae | [latin] Nyctibius griseus | [UK] Common Potoo | [FR] Ibijau gris | [DE] Urutau-Tagschlafer | [ES] Nictibio Urutau | [IT] Nittibio comune | [NL] Grijze Reuzennachtzwaluw
Subspecies
| Genus | Species | subspecies | Breeding Range | Breeding Range 2 | Non Breeding Range |
| Nyctibius | griseus | LA | Nicaragua to Uruguay | ||
| Nyctibius | griseus | griseus | n and c South America east of the Andes | ||
| Nyctibius | griseus | panamensis | e Nicaragua to w Panama, w Colombia and w Ecuador |
Physical charateristics
The common potoo’s plumage is brown with streaks of other colors that include grey, black, and reddish brown. The bird has black streaks on the crown (top) of the head and the lower part of the body. The potoo’s patterned plumage resembles the tree branches where potoos perch, so the birds can roost (rest) during the day without being seen by predators. Male and female potoos have similar coloring.
No sound available
| wingspan min.: | 0 | cm | wingspan max.: | 0 | cm |
| size min.: | 33 | cm | size max.: | 38 | cm |
| incubation min.: | 30 | days | incubation max.: | 33 | days |
| fledging min.: | 45 | days | fledging max.: | 51 | days |
| broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 1 | ||
| eggs max.: | 1 |
Range
Common Potoos live in Mexico and Central and South America. Birds are found in the countries of Costa Rica, Panama, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Tobago, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Trinidad.
Habitat
Common Potoos live in rainforests, coniferous or evergreen forests, and in grassland where there are few trees. Birds also live on plantations, land where people plant trees.
Reproduction
Common Potoos are solitary and monogamous birds. The breeding season when birds mate varies by location for this species found throughout much of Latin America. In Tobago, Common Potoos mate between March and May. The female potoo lays one egg. Both parents incubate the egg that hatches in thirty to thirty-three days. The chick fledges, grows its flying feathers, in forty to fifty-one days.
Feeding habits
Common Potoos eat moths, grasshoppers, beetles, termites, and fireflies.
Conservation
This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 14,000,000 km2. The global population size has not been quantified, but it is believed to be large as the species is described as ‘common’ in at least parts of its range (Stotz et al. 1996). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Migration
Resident throughout range.
Distribution map
Literature
Title NOTES ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE UPPER EYELID OF POTOOS ( NYCTIBZUS )
Author(s): JOSfi IGNACIO BORRERO H
Abstract: The Potoos (Nyctibius) have been studied by variou..[more]..
Source: The Condor 76:210-240, 1974
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