The potoos of the family Nyctibiidae resemble upright sitting nightjars. Potoos have proportionally large heads for their body size and long wings and tails. Their large head is dominated by a massive broad bill and enormous eyes. The bill, while large and broad gaping, is also short, barely projecting past the face. It is delicate, but has a unique “tooth” on the cutting edge of the upper mandible that may assist in foraging. Unlike the closely related nightjars, the potoos lack rictal bristles around the mouth. The legs and feet are |
weak and used only for perching. The potoos are highly nocturnal and generally do not fly during the day. They spend the day perched on branches with the eyes half closed. With their cryptic plumage they resemble stumps. Pottoos’ typical foraging technique is to perch on a branch and occasionally fly out in the manner of a flycatcher in order to snatch a passing insect. There is single genus and five species of potoos known to occur in Peru. Photo (left) Great Potoo. ©David Moran (right) Rufous Potoo ©Roger Ahlman |