- Nyctibius griseus
Identification
33-38cm (13-15 in)
- Pale grey to brown
- Finely patterned with black and buff
- Large orange iris
Distribution
Central and South America
Central America: Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago
South America: Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies[1]:
- N. g. panamensis:
- Nicaragua and south-western Costa Rica to north-western Venezuela and western Ecuador
- N. g. griseus:
An additional subspecies cornutus is generally considered invalid[2]
Habitat
Forest, open woodland, grasslands and plantations.
Behaviour
Most active at dawn and dusk.
Diet
The diet includes insects.
Breeding
The single egg is laid in an unlined bowl on top of a tree stump. Both adults incubate the egg and care for the chick. It is fed at night.
Vocalisation
Call: a melancholic mournful 'poor me one'
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Arthur Grosset
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Common Potoo. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Common_Potoo
External Links
