Learn About Potoo Birds

Potoo birds (Nyctibius) are solitary, nocturnal insectivores that hunt by perching and waiting for flying insects to pass by before pouncing to snatch them up in their gaping mouths. Their long wings and tails allow them to maneuver around the tree canopy, chasing their prey without disturbing it. They have also been known to snatch up small birds and bats.

Learn About Potoo Birds , they hide in a vertical posture that resembles the coloration of the dead branches or stumps on which they roost, making them virtually undetectable to predators. If a threat approaches, they can rapidly adopt their characteristic “freeze” position to even more closely resemble the surface of a dead stump.

Potoo Birds: Masters of Camouflage and Silent Night Hunters

At night, they forage primarily on flying insects, but are also known to take beetles, termites, grasshoppers and moths. They have been known to swallow whole their catches, which is probably why one of their nicknames is the “moth-eating bird.” In fact, one of these wide-eyed, weird looking birds was once caught with a small bird in its stomach!

There are seven different species of potoo birds. They are in the family Nyctibiidae, which includes nightjars and whip-poor-wills, although they do not share a close relationship with these more familiar birds. They are found in the tropics from southern Mexico through central and northern Central America and south to Brazil and Bolivia. These solitary, mostly nocturnal birds are listed as least concern by the IUCN. They are able to adapt to habitat changes, and their only known threat is deforestation.