Bird Album
Common Potoo
Nyctibius griseus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
34–38 cmLength172 gWeight
The common potoo (Nyctibius griseus), also known as the kakuy or urutaú, is one of seven species of birds within the genus Nyctibius.
Most records: Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil
Where and when it's recorded
Most records: Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil
Common Potoo has been recorded at 555 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- RN Laguna de SonsoColombia1,930 records
- Hotel Tinamú Birding Nature ReserveColombia1,883 records
- Refugio Paz de las AvesEcuador1,399 records
More places
- Sani LodgeEcuador759 records
- Mindo – Vía a las cascadasEcuador743 records
- Caroni SwampTrinidad & Tobago703 records
- Refugio mixto Caño NegroCosta Rica598 records
- Asa Wright Nature CenterTrinidad & Tobago530 records
- Estancia BajosombraColombia503 records
- La Florida - Bosque de Las AvesColombia502 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The common potoo (Nyctibius griseus), also known as the kakuy or urutaú, is one of seven species of birds within the genus Nyctibius. It is notable for its large, yellow eyes and a wide mouth. Potoos are nocturnal and are related to nightjars and frogmouths.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Common Potoo?
The Common Potoo is about 34–38 cm long and weighs around 172 g.
Where does the Common Potoo live?
Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: Nicaragua to Uruguay. It is most often recorded in Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil.
Is the Common Potoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Common Potoo as Least Concern.
What does the Common Potoo eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Common Potoo in?
It belongs to the family Potoos (Nyctibiidae), order Nyctibiiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 34–38 cm
- Weight
- 172 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 256 mm
- Tail
- 182 mm
- Bill
- 29 mm
- Tarsus
- 10 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Middle America, South America: Nicaragua to Uruguay
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Nyctibiiformes
- Family
- Potoos Nyctibiidae
- Genus
- Nyctibius
Other birds in the genus Nyctibius
Great PotooNyctibius grandis
Long-tailed PotooNyctibius aethereus
Northern PotooNyctibius jamaicensis
Andean PotooNyctibius maculosus
White-winged PotooNyctibius leucopterus
Rufous PotooPhyllaemulor bracteatus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Gabriel Delasala. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.