Found in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, this nocturnal marvel is a master of mimicry. During the day, it doesn’t hide in a hole or a thicket; instead, it perches at the very tip of a broken stump or a vertical branch, pointing its bill toward the sky and closing its eyes until it becomes a perfect extension of the wood. Its plumage is a complex, lichen-like tapestry of grays and browns that blends so seamlessly with the bark that even the most eagle-eyed predator—or birdwatcher—can walk right past it without realizing they are looking at a bird.
What truly makes the Northern potoo look like something from a fantasy novel are its “magical” eyes. While it spends its day pretending to be a piece of wood with its eyes tightly shut, it is never truly blind to its surroundings. It possesses two small slits in its upper eyelids—essentially “magic peepholes”—that allow it to monitor the world for movement even while its eyes are closed. When night falls and it finally opens those eyes, it reveals massive, glowing yellow orbs that are designed to soak up every available photon of moonlight.
The voice of the Northern potoo is as haunting as its appearance, but unlike its cousin, the common potoo (which has a famous, melancholy “poor-me-one” whistle), the Northern variety has a much more unsettling call. It produces a dry, hoarse, and guttural “baaa-oo” or a barking sound that can be quite startling when it echoes through a dark tropical forest. This mechanical, almost reptilian sound is used to claim territory and communicate with mates under the cover of darkness. Despite their somewhat “spooky” reputation, they are gentle and dedicated parents; they don’t build a nest at all, instead laying a single egg in a natural “socket” or depression at the top of a vertical branch, where the parent sits perfectly still for weeks, looking like nothing more than a weathered knot on a tree.
Distribution
Belize
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Puerto RicoAnything we've missed?
Help us improve this page by suggesting edits. Glory never dies!
Suggest an editGet to know me
Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
