Long-tailed potoo

The long-tailed potoo is a species of bird in the family Nyctibiidae. It is found in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

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Distribution

Region

Tropical South America

Typical Environment

Occurs widely across the Amazon Basin and the Guianas, extending into eastern Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and reaching parts of Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Argentina/Paraguay; absent from Chile and Uruguay. Prefers mature lowland evergreen forest, including terra firme and seasonally flooded várzea, as well as riverine forest and forest edges. Commonly roosts and hunts in the subcanopy and along light gaps, streams, and clearings within otherwise continuous forest. Avoids heavily open landscapes and heavily urbanized areas.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1200 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size38–47 cm

Wing Span60–70 cm

Male Weight0.24 kg

Female Weight0.26 kg

Life Expectancy12 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

A master of camouflage, the long-tailed potoo spends daylight hours perched upright on a snag, mimicking a broken branch. At night it hawks large flying insects using a huge, wide gape framed by fine rictal bristles. It lays a single egg in a shallow depression on a bare branch rather than building a nest. Its eerie, mournful whistles are a hallmark of tropical South American forests.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

solitary and nocturnal

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats with buoyant, silent glides

Social Behavior

Typically solitary or in pairs during the breeding season. Roosts motionless by day on exposed stubs, relying on camouflage. Breeds on a bare branch or stump, laying a single egg; both adults share incubation and chick care.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Gives soft, mournful, whistled phrases that carry far on still nights, often descending in pitch. Calls are repeated at intervals and may accelerate or taper off, creating an eerie, ventriloquial effect.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

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