(#2) Potoos Can See You Moving With Their Eyes Closed
This strange bird can follow you with its eyes closed. Potoos have narrow openings along the bottom of their eyelids that let them sense movement. Even when their eyes are closed, they can track their prey. Or, even when they're sleeping, they can detect approaching shadows to escape from harm.
(#1) Potoo Birds Are The Subject Of Some Spooky Folklore
The potoo squawks at the moon with sorrowful and eerie cries, resulting in it becoming the subject of sad and spooky folklore. For example, the Shuar people of Ecuador believe the potoo's cry comes from a spirit that is in love with the moon. The legend goes that a man was angry with his wife, but when she tried to apologize, he fled toward the sky.
She tried to follow, but fell back to earth and transformed into a bird. Her husband became the moon, and because she could never reach him again, the wife stays up all night crying over her lost love.
(#9) The Potoo Bird Isn't A Single Species
Potoos aren't one exclusive species of birds. In fact, they are a group of related species in the family Nyctibiidae. They belong to the genus Nyctibius, and branch out into one of seven species. Thus, potoos can look vastly different in terms of color and shape, depending on which species you're looking at.
(#8) Potoos Have Seriously Humongous Mouths
The most recognizable trait of Potoos is their insanely gigantic mouths. These birds have huge oral orifices despite having tiny beaks, because they open their mouths like a net to catch moths, beetles, and other insects that fly around at night.
(#4) Potoos Mostly Eat Bugs, But Sometimes They'll Scarf Down Smaller Birds
Potoos don't regularly eat their own kind, but they are opportunist eaters. Though they prefer to feast on bugs, such as moths, beetles, and grasshoppers, potoos have been found with small birds in their stomaches. If the opportunity arises, they're going to eat. But only at night.
These nocturnal creatures hunt long after the sun is gone by waiting patiently for prey. They're known to perch on high tree branches and capture their meals in "sallies," or quick attacks.
(#6) Potoos Aren't Players
These weird birds aren't players. They don't mate with a ton of other potoo birds and are typically totally monogamous. It's sort of sweet. Once these wide-eyed, weird looking birds find love, it's forever.
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About This Tool
The great potoo is a nocturnal bird. During the daytime, they always perch on the branches with their eyes closed. The great potoos can use the pattern of their feathers to disguise themselves as tree stumps. Once they feel dangerous, they will adopt a frozen posture to make them look like a truncated tree stump to avoid the enemy, and it is difficult for people to detect their existence. The great potoo is widely distributed and has many subspecies.
You may never have seen these birds that are good at camouflage. The random tool introduced 10 fun facts about the great potoos which most people do not know. Welcome to share this interesting tool with other friends.
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