Great potoo

Nyctibius grandis

Photo by Philip Perry (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
great potoo (en); urutau-gigante (pt); grand ibijau (fr); nictibio grande (es); riesentagschläfer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Caprimulgiformes
Family Nyctibiidae

Range:
This species is found from extreme southern Mexico, through Central America into Colombia, Venezuela and the Guyanas, and southwards east of the Andes down to central Bolivia, northern Paraguay and south-eastern Brazil.

Size:
These birds are 45-60 cm long and have a wingspan of 70-80 cm. They weigh 320-650 g.

Habitat:
The great potoo is mostly found in the canopy of lowland rainforests, also using moist savannas, second growths and plantations.

Diet:
They hunt at night, mainly taking flying insects such as beetles, katydids and grasshoppers, but also bats.

Breeding:
Great potoos are monogamous and can possibly breed all year round, varying among different parts of their range. They don't build nests, laying their single egg in a deep notch in a large tree branch. Both parents incubate the egg but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation period. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 55 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single chick per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and has a global population estimated at 500.000-5.000.000 individuals. There is no information on population trends, but the great potoo is estimated to lose 19-25% of suitable habitat over the next 2 decades, based on a model of Amazonian deforestation. It is therefore expected to suffer a small decline in the near future.

Common potoo

Nyctibius griseus

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:

common potoo (en); urutau-comum (pt); ibijau gris (fr); urutaú menor (es); urutau-tagschläfer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Caprimulgiformes

Family Nyctibiidae

Range:

This species is found in tropical Central and South America, from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and Uruguay.

Size:

The common potoo is 33-38 cm long and has a wingspan of 80 cm. They weigh 160-230 g.

Habitat:

Common potoos are found in rainforests, coniferous or evergreen forests, savannas and in grassland where there are a few trees, generally preferring open forests and forests edges. They can also be found in plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m.

Diet:

These birds forage at nigth, hunting flying, nocturnal insects including moths, grasshoppers, beetles, termites, and fireflies.

Breeding:

Common potoos breed in October-March. They don't build a nest, laying the egg directly in a depression in a tree limb, 3-18 m above the ground. The female lays 1 white egg with lilac spots, which is incubated by both parents for 29-33 days. The chicks is fed by both parents and fledges 45-51 days later. Each pair raises a single chick per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction.