Potoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Potoo Temporal range: Middle Eocene to present 48–0Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Northern potoo (Nyctibius jamaicensis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Vanescaves
Order:	Nyctibiiformes Yuri et al., 2013
Family:	Nyctibiidae Chenu & des Murs, 1853
Type species
Nyctibius grandis (great potoo) Gmelin, JF, 1789
Genera
Nyctibiinae Nyctibius Phyllaemulor †Parapreficinae †Paraprefica
Global range (In red)

Potoos are a special group of birds. They are related to nightjars and frogmouths. People sometimes call them "poor-me-ones" because of their unique, haunting calls. Potoos used to be grouped with nightjars. But now, scientists place them in their own separate bird group called Nyctibiiformes. There are seven types of potoos. They live in tropical Central and South America. Old fossils show they also lived in Europe long ago.

Potoos are birds that hunt at night. They eat insects. Unlike nightjars, they do not have special bristles around their mouths. They hunt by sitting on a perch, like a shrike. During the day, they sit very still on tree stumps. They look just like part of the stump. This helps them hide. Potoos lay only one spotted egg. They place it right on top of a stump.

In Argentina, people call them kakuy or cacuy. This comes from a word meaning 'to remain'. In Bolivia, they are called guajojo. This name comes from the sound of their call. In Brazil and Paraguay, they are called urutau. This name means 'ghost bird'.

How Potoos Evolved and Are Grouped

Today, potoos only live in the Americas. But it seems they once lived in many more places. Scientists have found fossils of potoos in Germany. These fossils are from a time called the Eocene period. A full skeleton of an ancient potoo, called Paraprefica, was found in Messel, Germany. Its skull and leg bones were like those of modern potoos. This suggests it was an early relative.

Scientists are not sure if potoos once lived all over the world. Or if they only lived in Europe and then moved to the Americas.

Scientists have studied the DNA of potoos. This study showed that all potoos are part of one family. It also showed that different potoo species are very old. They have changed a lot over time. For a long time, the northern potoo and the common potoo were thought to be the same species. But their different calls showed they are separate. Even so, they look very much alike.

The Potoo family, Nyctibiidae, was first named in 1853. This was done by French naturalists Jean-Charles Chenu and Œillet des Murs. Before that, potoos were grouped with the nightjars.

Types of Potoo Species

Scientists use special diagrams to show how species are related. Here is one for potoos:

The Potoo family (Nyctibiidae) has seven species. They are in two main groups, called genera:

• Family Nyctibiidae
  • Group: Modern Potoos
    • Genus Phyllaemulor
      • Rufous potoo, Phyllaemulor bracteatus
    • Genus Nyctibius
      • Great potoo, Nyctibius grandis
      • Long-tailed potoo, Nyctibius aethereus
      • Northern potoo, Nyctibius jamaicensis
      • Common potoo or lesser potoo, Nyctibius griseus
      • Andean potoo, Nyctibius maculosus
      • White-winged potoo, Nyctibius leucopterus

Before 2018, Nyctibius was thought to be the only group of living potoos. But a study in 2018 found that the rufous potoo was very different. So, it was put into a new group called Phyllaemulor. The International Ornithological Congress agreed with this in 2022.

There is also an extinct fossil group called Paraprefica. It is the only member of the ancient potoo subfamily. It was found in Germany and is the oldest potoo fossil. Another fossil bird, Euronyctibius, was once thought to be a potoo. But now scientists think it is more closely related to the oilbird.

What Potoos Look Like

Potoos all look very similar to each other. They have a very unusual appearance. Potoos can be from 21–58 cm (8.3–22.8 in) long. They look like nightjars sitting upright. Nightjars are a closely related bird family. Potoos also look a bit like frogmouths from Australia. But frogmouths are wider and have heavier bills.

Potoos have very large heads for their body size. They also have long wings and tails. Their big head has a huge, wide bill and enormous eyes. One expert described potoos as "little more than a flying mouth and eyes." Their bill is wide but short. It has a special "tooth" on the top part. This might help them catch food. Unlike nightjars, potoos do not have stiff feathers around their mouths. Their legs and feet are weak. They only use them for perching.

Their eyes are very large, even bigger than a nightjar's. Like many night animals, their eyes reflect light. Their eyes could be easy for predators to see during the day. So, they have special slits in their eyelids. This lets them sense movement even when their eyes are closed. Their feathers are camouflaged. This helps them blend in with the tree branches where they rest during the day.

Where Potoos Live

Potoos live in the Neotropical region. This means they live from Mexico all the way to Argentina. Most types of potoos live in the Amazon Basin. Five different species live there. You can find potoos in every country in Central and South America. They also live on three Caribbean islands: Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Tobago.

Potoos usually stay in one place. They do not travel far. But sometimes, a few have been seen in new places. This can happen if they travel on ships. All potoo species live in humid forests. Some species can also live in drier forests.

How Potoos Behave

Common potoo camouflaged on a stump

Potoos are very active at night. They usually do not fly during the day. They spend the day sitting on branches. Their eyes are often half-closed. Their camouflaged feathers make them look like tree stumps. If they sense danger, they freeze. They become even more still. This makes them look even more like a broken branch. They change into this "freeze" position very slowly. It is hard to notice.

A scientist named Hugh Cott described the Nyctibius griseus as a "wonderful bird." He said it often chooses the top of an upright stump for its egg. The egg usually sits in a small dip. This dip is just big enough for the egg. He saw a stump that had a new branch growing below a broken part. The birds sat facing this branch. This way, when seen from behind, they blended in with the gray stump.

What Potoos Eat

Potoos hunt for food at dusk and at night. They eat flying insects. They usually sit on a branch. Then they fly out quickly to catch a passing insect. This is like how a flycatcher hunts. Sometimes, they fly to plants to pick an insect off. But they do not try to catch prey from the ground. Beetles are a big part of their diet. They also eat moths, grasshoppers, and termites. One northern potoo was even found with a small bird in its stomach. When potoos catch an insect, they swallow it whole. They do not beat or crush it.

Potoo Reproduction and Life Cycle

Great potoo, Nyctibius grandis

Potoos are monogamous. This means they have one partner. Both parents help with incubating the egg. They also share the job of raising the chick. Potoos do not build a nest. Instead, they lay their single egg in a dip on a branch. Or they lay it on top of a rotten stump. The egg is white with purple-brown spots.

One parent, often the male, sits on the egg during the day. At night, both parents share the duties. They do not change places often. This helps keep the nest hidden. Potoos rely completely on camouflage to protect their egg and themselves from predators. The chick hatches about one month after the egg is laid. The chick stays in the nest for two months. This is a long time for a land bird. Young potoos have white feathers. Once they are too big to hide under their parents, they also use the "freeze" position. They look like clumps of fungus on the branch.

How Potoos Defend Themselves

Potoos use different ways to protect themselves. If a potoo is alone, or if a parent is on the nest and a predator is near, the bird tries to stay hidden. It stays very still and uses its camouflage. If hiding does not work, the potoo will stop hiding. It tries to scare the predator. It opens its beak and eyes wide. It might also make loud calls. Or it simply flies away. Predators that hunt at night do not rely as much on sight. So, potoos might use different ways to defend themselves at night.