POTOO BIRD

Did you know? You can find this weird, wonderful bird on night walks around our Rainforest Expeditions lodges

Not all nights in the Amazon are pitch black. When the full moon rises, it becomes light enough to see shadows inside the rainforest. On nights such as these, you barely need a flashlight in the clearings, and along the river shore. Certain birds also call more often during the full moon. Spectacled and Tawny-bellied Screech Owls cry out near the lodges. Spix’s Guan, a large turkey-like bird, frequently calls on nights such as these. Some of the strangest sounds, though, come from the Potoo Bird.

Bizarre, nocturnal birds that are rarely seen during the day, the Potoo Bird reveals its presence with eerie calls that carry for long distances. These unusual birds are a highlight in the Tambopata rainforest we call home.

There are several types of Potoo birds. You might encounter:

The Common Potoo Bird (Nyctibius griseus) calls in a mournful series of whistled notes that go down in scale.

The huge Great Potoo Bird (Nyctibius grandis) utters loud squawks and a deep guttural sound. This haunting noise has frightened many a guest, and even given rise to folktales!

You can hear the strange call of the long-tailed Potoo Bird (Nyctibius aethereus) from deep within the forest.

Potoo Bird Fun Facts

• Masters of disguise: Potoo Birds are only active at night, and thus sleep during the day. Like most other nocturnal birds, their plumage acts as camouflage, making them look like a piece of tree bark or broken-off stump!


• Wide, largemouths. Although Potoo Birds have small beaks, their mouths are huge. Their wide, largemouths help them catch moths, beetles, and other insects during the night.


• The Potoo cries for the moon: According to legend, the Common Potoo’s call is the mournful lament of a spirit in love with the distant spirit of the moon.


• No nest: Potoo Birds do lay a single egg, but they place it in the nook of a branch or broken-off stem, instead of building an actual nest!

How to see Potoo Birds when visiting Tambopata on an Amazon adventure tour:

• Ask guides about Potoo sites: The guides who work for Rainforest Expeditions make efforts to keep up on recent sightings of interesting animals such as Potoos. If they know of a Potoo roosting site, they’ll be happy to show you these strange birds.


• Watch for them on moonlit nights: Since Potoos tend to call more on clear, moonlit nights, they’re also easier to locate at such times. Listen for their calls, and see if you can go on a night walk with a guide to track them down. Great Potoos often call from and perch on snags that stick up above the forest canopy.


• Look for odd lumps on branches: Although it is very difficult to find Potoo Birds during the day, “lumps” on branches and the tips of dead snags occasionally turn out to be roosting Potoos upon close binocular inspection.


• Explore at night with a trained guide: Visit the stunning Rainforest Expedition lodges in the Peruvian Amazon. One of our experienced guides will help you find them!