Great Potoo

The Great Potoo is a large, nocturnal bird with mottled gray, brown, and buff plumage that mimics the texture of tree bark so perfectly that it can vanish in plain sight. Its huge, dark eyes, wide frog‑like mouth, and upright posture give it an almost otherworldly appearance, especially when perched motionless on a snag. Long wings, a broad head, and cryptic feathering complete its ghostly, sculptural silhouette.

• Species eBird Ecuador Link: Great Potoo

In Ecuador, the Great Potoo is found primarily in the Amazonian lowlands, inhabiting humid forests, forest edges, and riverine corridors. It is generally uncommon but widespread in suitable habitat, most often detected by its eerie, far‑carrying nighttime calls rather than by sight. During the day it roosts on exposed branches or broken stumps, relying on its extraordinary camouflage to remain undetected.

One of the most fascinating traits of the Great Potoo is its remarkable camouflage: when threatened, it freezes in a “broken‑branch” pose, elongating its body and closing its eyes to narrow slits, becoming nearly indistinguishable from the perch beneath it. Its haunting, moaning call is one of the most iconic nighttime sounds of the Neotropics, often startling first‑time listeners. The species also lays just a single egg on a bare tree snag—no nest at all—trusting height and stillness to protect its young.