Random Facts Most People Don't Know About Great Potoo (10 items)

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  (#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. 
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  (#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. 
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  (#3) Potoo Birds Have A Terrifying Squawk

  Potoos are noisy birds, and they're noisy when most of the world is trying to sleep. The common potoo is loudest at night. The song is described as "a mournful series of four to six descending flutelike tones" that bring about a feeling of melancholy. The bird also has a deep, guttural yell that frequently frightens rainforest hikers, and is considered to have one of the most unique bird calls in the world. 
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  (#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. 
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  (#5) Potoos Are Kind Of Lazy

  Potoos are largely sedentary. There are reports of the little guys being stowaways on ships, but for the most part, they just open their mouth, catch some moths, and sit on their stump. They are almost never seen during the day and perch in a single spot without straying too far. 
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  (#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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  (#7) Potoos Are Actually Amazing Co-Parents

  When potoos mate, they're actually a really cute little family. The male incubates the egg during the day and both the male and female incubate the egg together at night. Chicks hatch about a month after a single egg is laid and remain in their nesting area for two months. This is actually a pretty long time for land birds.
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  (#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. 
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  (#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. 
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  (#10) Potoo Birds Were Everywhere During Prehistoric Times

  Potoos are often found in Central and South America. While they are mostly common in the Amazon Basin, they actually used to live all around Europe. Potoo fossils have been found in France and Germany, proving they were all over the globe during prehistoric times. 

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