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Project Noah Nature School
Nyctibius grandis
First, find the bird in the picture; then in the next pictures find what is next to its belly :-) Yes, both mom and baby are a miracle of mimicry! ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Great Potoo is larger than a crow at 48–60 cm tall. It is pale greyish to brown, finely patterned with black and buff. It has large orange eyes. The overall appearance is pale and grayish. The underside is barred, including the buffy chest. The tail is barred with sharply defined black borders, while the head and back are mottled with gray and buff. Like most members of their order, the Great Potoo has plumage that is well-suited for camouflage. The song is described as deep, guttural, strangled cries like borrrrrr or oorrroo repeated after a consistent interval of 10 to 20 seconds. The most common call is a loud, startling bark, BWOW! or GWOK! This call is usually made while the bird is disturbed.
Caño Negro, Costa Rica.
Spotted on Apr 12, 2014
Submitted on Jun 1, 2014
2 Comments
I would say that in Costa Rica in areas like Caño Negro and Tortuguero which are marshes mixed with woodland and riversides it may be relatively common. But on the other hand it may be hard to spot them from a boat, just because they mimetize so well with the bark of the trees. We were in a boat with other people and a guide who is used to spot things in that area. So being with an experienced local always helps to find nice things :-)
Oh cooool spotting Marta, I would love to see a Potoo. Are they common there, or is it unusual to see them?