Potoo Bird: It Spends The Day Pretending To Be A Tree

Potoo bird is one of the most interesting birds that you could have ever known. No doubt that Potoo is the master of camouflage. They mostly live in the forests of Central and South America. And they take attention with their large mouth and bulging yellow eyes, if you are good enough to realize them with sharp eyes…

Potoo is the master of camouflage

potoo bird

Photo: The Lilac Breasted Roller

It’s so hard to distinguish them from a tree

Potoo birds spend their day resting beneath the rainforest canopy pretending to be trees. They are nocturnal, so to avoid detection during the daytime, they perch motionless on dead or dying trees. What makes them nearly impossible to spot is their color pattern which helps them appear like extensions of branches.

potoo bird

Photo: Alejandro Bayer

Potoo bird is also known for its haunting calls

Some liken it to the roar of a tiger, the croak of a frog, or the gruff, wrenching scream of a human. Or a combination of all these voices.

They are more than just proficient tree-mimics or eerie forest-haunters. They have oversized yellow eyeballs that are perfect for spotting tasty insects, which make up the bulk of the birds’ diet.

potoo bird

Photo: Reinaldo Aguilar

Those big yellow eyes remain closed when they are in stealth mode, but then at night… They bulge out and give the animals a perpetually surprised look

Photo: Carlos Gussoni

Source

Photo: In Memoriam: Ecuador Megadiverso

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