Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis) | Photos, Calls and ID

LCLeast ConcernInvertebrates

ForestCavity nestLarge · 547 g

Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis), photo 4 — Photo: Lucas Illanes · CC BY 4.0

Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis), photo 5 — Photo: Lucas Illanes · CC BY 4.0

Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis), photo 10 — Photo: Kristiina Hurme · CC BY 4.0

What the Great Potoo sounds like

Sonogram of the Great Potoo: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Niels Krabbe · Song · Napo: Napo Galeras, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Alfonso Auerbach · Song · Tela, Tela, Atlántida Department, Honduras · CC0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The great potoo has a large head in relation to its body, large, dark brown eyes, and a short but broad beak. Their wings are elliptical in shape, their tail is elongated, and their feathers are white, gray, black, and burgundy. The tail colors match with that of the rest of the body, with the exception of white bars that can be seen going across the tail laterally. Range in Mass: 360 to 650 g (13 to 23 oz) Range in Length: 480 to 600 mm (19 to 24 in) Range in wingspan: 700 to 804 mm (27.6 to 31.7 in) Average Wingspan: 734.8 mm (28.93 in)

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Great Potoo

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Great Potoo

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 16 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Costa Rica Colombia Brazil Ecuador Peru Panama Venezuela Honduras Bolivia Guyana Guatemala Belize Suriname Nicaragua French Guiana Mexico

Recorded as a rare visitor in Paraguay.

About the Great Potoo

The great potoo or grand potoo is the largest potoo species and is widely distributed in Central and South America.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Northern PotooNyctibius jamaicensisIt is a fairly large bird with a length of 38–46 centimetres.

Common PotooNyctibius griseusCommon potoos are 34–38 cm (13–15 in) long with mottled red-brown, white, black, and grey cryptic plumage.

Long-tailed PotooNyctibius aethereusThe long-tailed potoo is 42 to 58 cm (17 to 23 in) long and weighs 280 to 447 g (9.9 to 15.8 oz).

Side by side: Common Potoo vs Great Potoo · Great Potoo vs Northern Potoo

Learn the Great Potoo in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

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