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Common Potoo — printable fact sheet
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Common Potoo
Nyctibius griseus
Nyctibius griseus is a nocturnal bird of Central and South America that has committed entirely to a single defensive strategy: it becomes a broken branch. At dawn it settles on the top of a snapped-off stump, points its bill skyward, freezes with its eyes shut and its plumage co…
Did you know?
- Despite appearing motionless and invisible during the day, Common Potoos can rotate their heads up to 180 degrees to keep watch for predators.
- Potoo eyes contain a reflective layer that shines an eerie orange in torchlight, which is often the only way to find one at night. The chick sits on a branch so narrow it looks like a fungal growth, and an adult will stand over it, its own body concealing the young bird within its outline. The bill is tiny but hinged so that the gape opens across almost the entire width of the head. Even at close range a motionless potoo is routinely walked past by experienced birders, and the bird will hold the pose until it is nearly touched.
What I learned
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