A monstrous nightbird, superficially similar to an owl but not related. Pale mottled gray with large head; larger than other potoos and lacks a dark mustache stripe. Well camouflaged and difficult to spot; most often seen roosting on a horizontal limb during the day (less often on a broken off snag like other potoos). Found in forested areas and edges. Active at night, when it feeds on large insects.

This one was photographed about 100 feet in the canopy in Ecuador guided by Neotropic Photo Tours.

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Rarely observed, nocturnal bird of lowland rainforest. Considerably smaller than other potoos, and distinguished from them by bright rufous plumage spotted with white. The Rufous Potoo is found in the understory, where during the day the bird rocks back and forth on its perch, thereby heightening its resemblance to a dead leaf.

This one was photographed in Ecuador guided by Neotropic Photo Tours.

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Taken in the Pantanal, Brazil guided by Neotropic Photo Tours.

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A monstrous nightbird, superficially similar to an owl but not related. Pale mottled gray with large head; larger than other potoos and lacks a dark mustache stripe. Well camouflaged and difficult to spot; most often seen roosting on a horizontal limb during the day (less often on a broken off snag like other potoos). Found in forested areas and edges. Active at night, when it feeds on large insects. Listen for its terrifying call, a harsh descending scream.

Photographed in the Pantanal Brazil guided by Neotropic Photo Tours

Tags:   Brazil Neotropic Photo Tours The Pantanal

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Strange nocturnal bird like a mix between an owl and a nightjar. Large head and huge yellow eyes. Overall grayish-brown with splotchy patterning. Black mustache stripe helps distinguish from Great Potoo, along with smaller size. Spends the daytime perched on the end of a snag, where it blends in perfectly and becomes very difficult to spot. At night, hunts mainly for flying insects from an exposed perch. Found in open forested habitats with scattered trees, such as forest edges, along rivers or roadsides, or even in disturbed patchy woodland.

This one was photographed in Ecuador guided by Neotropic Photo Tours.

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