Common potoo: Difference between revisions

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| status = LC
| status = LC
| status_system = iucn3.1
| status_system = iucn3.1
|image_width = 250px
|image_width = 220px
| image = Nyctibius griseus.jpg
| image = Nyctibius griseus.jpg
|image_caption =
|image_caption = Well-camouflaged on a broken branch.
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| regnum = [[Animalia]]
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| subclassis = [[Neornithes]]
| infraclassis = [[Neognathae]]
|<!-- superordo = [[Neoaves]] -->
| unranked_ordo = [[Cypselomorphae]]
| ordo = [[Caprimulgiformes]]
| ordo = [[Caprimulgiformes]]
| familia = [[Nyctibiidae]]
| familia = [[Nyctibiidae]]
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}}


The '''Lesser Potoo ''' or '''Common Potoo ''' ('''''Nyctibius griseus'''''), is a nocturnal [[bird]] which breeds in tropical [[central America|Central]] and [[South America]] from [[Costa Rica]] to northern [[Argentina]] and northern [[Uruguay]]. The [[Northern Potoo]] (''N. jamaicensis'') was formerly classified as a [[subspecies]] of this species.
The '''Lesser Potoo''' or '''Common Potoo''' ('''''Nyctibius griseus'''''), is a nocturnal [[bird]] which breeds in tropical [[central America|Central]] and [[South America]] from [[Costa Rica]] to northern [[Argentina]] and northern [[Uruguay]]. The [[Northern Potoo]] (''N. jamaicensis'') was formerly classified as a [[subspecies]] of this species.


This [[potoo]] is a large [[near passerine]] [[bird]] related to the [[nightjar]]s and [[frogmouth]]s, but like other potoos it lacks the bristles around the mouth found in the true nightjars. It is 33-38cm long and pale greyish to brown, finely patterned with black and buff, [[camouflage]]d to look like a log; this is a safety measure to help protect it from predators, but its ''mode of perch'' is also a camouflage. It has large orange eyes.
This [[potoo]] is a large [[near passerine]] [[bird]] related to the [[nightjar]]s and [[frogmouth]]s, but like other potoos it lacks the bristles around the mouth found in the true nightjars. It is 33-38cm long and pale greyish to brown, finely patterned with black and buff, [[camouflage]]d to look like a log; this is a safety measure to help protect it from predators, but its ''mode of perch'' is also a camouflage. It has large orange eyes.


⚫
The Lesser Potoo can be located at night by the reflection of light from its eyes as it sits on a post, or by its haunting melancholic song, a ''BO-OU, BO-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou'' dropping in both pitch and volume.
⚫
The Lesser Potoo is a resident breeder in open woodlands and savannah. It avoids cooler montane regions, rarely occurring over 1,900 meters [[Above mean sea level|ASL]] even in the hottest parts of its range (Cuervo ''et al.'' 2003). The single lilac-spotted white egg is laid directly in a depression in a tree limb.

⚫
It is a resident breeder in open woodlands and savannah. It avoids cooler montane regions, rarely occurring over 1,900 meters [[Above mean sea level|ASL]] even in the hottest parts of its range<ref>Cuervo ''et al.'' (2003)</ref>. Also, [[arid]] regions are usually avoided; for example in the dry [[Caribbean]] plain of [[Colombia]] the species was first recorded in April 1999<ref>Strewe & Navarro (2004)</ref>.


This nocturnal [[insectivore]] hunts from a perch like a [[shrike]] or [[flycatcher]]. During the day it perches upright on a tree stump, and is completely invisible, looking like part of the stump because it stays so completely still as it perches.
This nocturnal [[insectivore]] hunts from a perch like a [[shrike]] or [[flycatcher]]. During the day it perches upright on a tree stump, and is completely invisible, looking like part of the stump because it stays so completely still as it perches.


The single{{cn}} [[egg]] is white with lilac spots{{cn}}. It laid directly in a depression in a tree limb<ref>E.g. of ''[[Cecropia]]'': Greeney ''et al.'' (2004)</ref>, usually some meters above ground. It is not clear whether there can be, on occasion, two eggs in a [[clutch (eggs)|clutch]].<ref>Greeney ''et al.'' (2004)</ref>
⚫
The Lesser Potoo can be located at night by the reflection of light from its eyes as it sits on a post, or by its haunting melancholic song, a ''BO-OU, BO-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou'' dropping in both pitch and volume.


==Footnotes==
== References ==<!-- Bull. B.O.C. 2004 124(1): 38 -->
{{Reflist}}
⚫
* {{IUCN2006|assessors='''BirdLife International'''|year=2004|id=48628|title=Nyctibius griseus|downloaded=11 May 2006}} Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern


== References ==
⚫
* '''Cuervo''', Andrés M.; Stiles, F. Gary; Cadena, Carlos Daniel; Toro, Juan Lázaro & Londoño, Gustavo A. (2003): New and noteworthy bird records from the northern sector of the Western Andes of Colombia. ''[[Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club|Bull. B. O. C.]]'' '''123'''(1): 7-24. [http://www.zoo.ufl.edu/gustavo/images/pdf/Cuervo_etal2003BBOC.pdf PDF fulltext]
⚫
* {{IUCN2006|assessors={{aut|BirdLife International}}|year=2004|id=48628|title=Nyctibius griseus|downloaded=11 May 2006}} Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

⚫
* {{aut|Cuervo, Andrés M.; Stiles, F. Gary; Cadena, Carlos Daniel; Toro, Juan Lázaro & Londoño, Gustavo A.}} (2003): New and noteworthy bird records from the northern sector of the Western Andes of Colombia. ''[[Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club|Bull. B. O. C.]]'' '''123'''(1): 7-24. [http://www.zoo.ufl.edu/gustavo/images/pdf/Cuervo_etal2003BBOC.pdf PDF fulltext]
* '''ffrench'''<!---not capitalised--->, Richard; O'Neill, John Patton & Eckelberry, Don R. (1991): ''A guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago'' (2nd edition). Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y.. <small>ISBN 0-8014-9792-2</small>
* {{aut|ffrench<!---not capitalised--->, Richard; O'Neill, John Patton & Eckelberry, Don R.}} (1991): ''A guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago'' (2nd edition). Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y.. <small>ISBN 0-8014-9792-2</small>

* {{aut|Greeney, Harold F.; Gelis, Rudolphe A. & White, Richard}} (2004): Notes on breeding birds from an Ecuadorian lowland forest. ''[[Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club|Bull. B.O.C.]]'' '''124'''(1): 28-37. [http://depts.washington.edu/nhrg/Greeney,%20Gelis%20%26%20White%202004.pdf PDF fulltext]
* '''Hilty''', Steven L. (2003): ''Birds of Venezuela''. [[Helm Identification Guides|Christopher Helm]], London. <small>ISBN 0-7136-6418-5</small>
* {{aut|Hilty, Steven L.}} (2003): ''Birds of Venezuela''. [[Helm Identification Guides|Christopher Helm]], London. <small>ISBN 0-7136-6418-5</small>
* {{aut|Strewe, Ralf & Navarro, Cristobal}} (2004): New and noteworthy records of birds from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region, north-eastern Colombia. ''[[Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club|Bull. B.O.C.]]'' '''124'''(1): 38-51. [http://www.alpec.org/Articulo%20BBOC/Strewe%20&%20Navarro%202004%20BBOC%20124%20(1).pdf PDF fulltext]


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons|Nyctibius griseus}}
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=2775 "Common Potoo" videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=2775 "Common Potoo" videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
*[http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=common+potoo&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 "Common Potoo" photo gallery] VIREO
*[http://vireo.acnatsci.org/search.html?Form=Search&SEARCHBY=Common&KEYWORDS=common+potoo&showwhat=images&AGE=All&SEX=All&ACT=All&Search=Search&VIEW=All&ORIENTATION=All&RESULTS=24 "Common Potoo" photo gallery] VIREO

<!--see the good RangeMap/maps/lists, etc at: "www.natureserve.org"... only "Permanent Resident" shown(Entire region continuous, except the highest "Andes" strip of mtns-ECUADOR,and north)-->
<!--see the good RangeMap/maps/lists, etc at: "www.natureserve.org"... only "Permanent Resident" shown(Entire region continuous, except the highest "Andes" strip of mtns-ECUADOR,and north)-->
<!--only in the 3 countries of Pan,C.Rica,Nicaragua-->
<!--only in the 3 countries of Pan,C.Rica,Nicaragua-->
<!--Mexico thru Honduras, not listed at "NatureServe"-->
<!--Mexico thru Honduras, not listed at "NatureServe"-->



{{Caprimulgiformes-stub}}
{{Caprimulgiformes-stub}}


[[Category:Nyctibius]]
[[Category:Nyctibius]]
[[Category:Potoos]]
[[Category:Birds of South America|Potoo, Lesser]]
[[Category:Birds of South America|Potoo, Lesser]]
[[Category:Birds of the Guianas|Potoo, Lesser]]
[[Category:Birds of the Guianas|Potoo, Lesser]]

Revision as of 01:59, 28 March 2008

Lesser Potoo
Well-camouflaged on a broken branch.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Subclass:
Neornithes
Infraclass:
Neognathae
(unranked):
Cypselomorphae
Order:
Caprimulgiformes
Family:
Nyctibiidae
Genus:
Nyctibius
Species:
N. griseus
Binomial name
Nyctibius griseus

The Lesser Potoo or Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus), is a nocturnal bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and northern Uruguay. The Northern Potoo (N. jamaicensis) was formerly classified as a subspecies of this species.

This potoo is a large near passerine bird related to the nightjars and frogmouths, but like other potoos it lacks the bristles around the mouth found in the true nightjars. It is 33-38cm long and pale greyish to brown, finely patterned with black and buff, camouflaged to look like a log; this is a safety measure to help protect it from predators, but its mode of perch is also a camouflage. It has large orange eyes.

The Lesser Potoo can be located at night by the reflection of light from its eyes as it sits on a post, or by its haunting melancholic song, a BO-OU, BO-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou dropping in both pitch and volume.

It is a resident breeder in open woodlands and savannah. It avoids cooler montane regions, rarely occurring over 1,900 meters ASL even in the hottest parts of its range[1]. Also, arid regions are usually avoided; for example in the dry Caribbean plain of Colombia the species was first recorded in April 1999[2].

This nocturnal insectivore hunts from a perch like a shrike or flycatcher. During the day it perches upright on a tree stump, and is completely invisible, looking like part of the stump because it stays so completely still as it perches.

The single[citation needed] egg is white with lilac spots[citation needed]. It laid directly in a depression in a tree limb[3], usually some meters above ground. It is not clear whether there can be, on occasion, two eggs in a clutch.[4]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Cuervo et al. (2003)
  2. ^ Strewe & Navarro (2004)
  3. ^ E.g. of Cecropia: Greeney et al. (2004)
  4. ^ Greeney et al. (2004)

References

  • Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
  • Cuervo, Andrés M.; Stiles, F. Gary; Cadena, Carlos Daniel; Toro, Juan Lázaro & Londoño, Gustavo A. (2003): New and noteworthy bird records from the northern sector of the Western Andes of Colombia. Bull. B. O. C. 123(1): 7-24. PDF fulltext
  • ffrench, Richard; O'Neill, John Patton & Eckelberry, Don R. (1991): A guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd edition). Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y.. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2
  • Greeney, Harold F.; Gelis, Rudolphe A. & White, Richard (2004): Notes on breeding birds from an Ecuadorian lowland forest. Bull. B.O.C. 124(1): 28-37. PDF fulltext
  • Hilty, Steven L. (2003): Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
  • Strewe, Ralf & Navarro, Cristobal (2004): New and noteworthy records of birds from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region, north-eastern Colombia. Bull. B.O.C. 124(1): 38-51. PDF fulltext

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nyctibius griseus.


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