Common potoo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common potoo |
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| In Paranavaí, Paraná, Brazil | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Nyctibius
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| Species: |
griseus
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The common potoo (Nyctibius griseus), also known as the poor-me-ones or urutau, is a fascinating bird. It's one of seven types of potoos. These birds are famous for their big, yellow eyes and a very wide mouth. Potoos are night birds, meaning they are active mostly at night. They are related to nightjars and frogmouths, but they don't have the special bristles around their mouths that true nightjars do.
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About Its Name
The common potoo got its scientific name, Nyctibius griseus, a long time ago. The name Nyctibius comes from ancient Greek words meaning "night-feeding." This makes sense because these birds hunt at night! The word griseus is a Latin word for "grey."
For a while, people thought the common potoo was the same as the northern potoo. But scientists later realized they were different species. The main reason for splitting them was their unique calls. Each bird has its own special song!
There are two main groups, or subspecies, of common potoos:
- N. g. panamensis: Found from Nicaragua down to parts of South America.
- N. g. griseus: Found in northern and central South America.
What Does It Look Like?
Common potoos are about 34 to 38 centimeters (13 to 15 inches) long. They have amazing feathers that are a mix of red-brown, white, black, and grey. This special coloring helps them blend in perfectly with tree branches. It's like they disappear!
Both male and female potoos look alike. You can't tell them apart just by looking. Their eyes are very interesting. They can look like big black dots with a small yellow ring. Or, they can look like huge yellow eyes with tiny pupils. This is because they can control how big their pupils are.
Potoos have two or three small slits in their eyelids. This means they can still see a little bit even when their eyes are closed! They can move their eyelids on their own. This helps them adjust what they see. The common potoo also has a very wide mouth. It even has a small "tooth" on its upper beak. This helps it catch insects.
Their Special Song
This bird has a very unique and haunting song. It sounds like BO-OU, BO-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou. The sound gets lower in pitch and quieter as it goes on. If a potoo is caught, it might make a squeaky sound, a bit like a crow. This call is very different from the deeper sound of the northern potoo.
Where Do They Live?
The common potoo lives in many places. You can find them in Trinidad and Tobago. They also live in almost every country in mainland South America, except Chile. However, one has been seen in Chile as a rare visitor. They live from the Andes mountains all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Another group, N. g. panamensis, lives from eastern Nicaragua south through Costa Rica and Panama. They are also found west of the Andes in parts of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and northwestern Peru.
Their Home
Common potoos like to live in open woodlands and savannahs. They don't usually live in cooler mountain areas. They are rarely seen above 1,900 meters (about 6,200 feet) above sea level. They tend to avoid very dry places. However, they have been seen in dry areas of Colombia.
They are common in the "gallery forest" areas around the border of Uruguay and Brazil. These are forests that grow along rivers. Further south, where there are fewer trees, they are quite rare. The birds that live in the southernmost parts of their range might fly short distances north during the winter.
How They Behave
Master of Disguise
The common potoo is amazing at hiding! It tries to look exactly like the branch it's resting on. This trick is called masquerading. Adult and young potoos pick branches that are about the same size as their own bodies. This helps them blend in even better.
Most potoos choose tree stumps or other natural things to rest on. But some adults have been seen resting on human-made objects. These birds will even change how they sit to make sure they look just like the stump.
When a potoo is awake, it sits with its eyes open and its beak pointing straight out. But if something bothers it, it will "freeze." This means it points its beak straight up in the air. It closes its eyelids, but it can still see through those special slits. Then, it stays perfectly still.
If a bigger animal, like a common marmoset, bothers it, the potoo might break its disguise. It might even try to chase the threat away. If a human disturbs it, the potoo might fly away quickly. It might also open its beak wide to scare you, or it might just stay still, even if you touch it!
What Do They Eat?
This bird is a night hunter that eats insects. It hunts from a perch, just like a shrike or flycatcher. It uses its wide mouth to catch insects in the air. It eats flies, moths, ants, termites, grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets. That small "tooth" on its upper beak helps it catch its food. It swallows its prey whole.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The common potoo chooses a tree stump that is about 3 to 15 meters (10 to 50 feet) high. It usually picks a branch stump as its nest. It doesn't add any extra material to make the nest fancy or soft. The potoo keeps its nest clean by dropping its waste far away from its perch. If it's breeding, the potoo chooses a stump with a small dip where it can lay an egg.
Common potoos stay with one partner. After mating, the female lays just one white egg. It has small lilac spots. The egg is placed right into the dip on the tree branch. Parents usually take care of only one egg at a time. The male and female take turns sitting on the egg to keep it warm. The other parent goes to find insects to eat. They share the egg-sitting time equally.
Potoos lay their eggs in December. Their nesting period is one of the longest for birds their size, lasting about 51 days. Young potoos hatch after about 33 days. They use a special "egg tooth" to break out of the shell. They are born with soft, downy feathers that have pale brown and white stripes. The parents feed the baby bird by bringing up food from their stomachs.
As the young potoo grows, the parents spend less time at the nest. While the parents are away, the young bird starts to eat nearby flies and clean its own feathers. When it's about 14 days old, the young potoo starts practicing its wings. It slowly gets ready to leave the nest. It will take several short flights, then return to the nest with its parents. Finally, it leaves for good about 25 days after hatching. Young potoos also have the same amazing camouflage as adults. This helps them blend in with branches too. Like adults, young birds respond to being disturbed in similar ways, often by flying away.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says the common potoo is of "Least Concern." This means it's not in immediate danger of disappearing. It lives in a very large area, and there are at least 500,000 adult birds. However, the number of potoos is going down. This is probably because their homes are being destroyed.
