Bird Album
Northern Potoo
Nyctibius jamaicensis (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
38–46 cmLength266 gWeight
The northern potoo (Nyctibius jamaicensis) is a nocturnal bird belonging to the potoo family, Nyctibiidae.
Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Belize, Mexico, Jamaica
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Belize, Mexico, Jamaica
Northern Potoo has been recorded at 121 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Rio La TovaraMexico823 records
- Finca La GraciaGuatemala487 records
- Parque Ecológico El HayaMexico476 records
More places
- Chaa CreekBelize411 records
- Hope Botanical GardensJamaica407 records
- Green Castle EstateJamaica407 records
- Chan Chich LodgeBelize322 records
- Rocklands Bird SanctuaryJamaica244 records
- Black Rock LodgeBelize203 records
- Black Rock RoadBelize187 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 northern potoo (Nyctibius jamaicensis) is a nocturnal bird belonging to the potoo family, Nyctibiidae. It is found from Mexico south to Costa Rica, and on the islands of Jamaica and Hispaniola (in the Dominican Republic and Haiti). It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the common potoo (Nyctibius griseus) but is now usually treated as a separate species based on differences in vocalizations.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Northern Potoo?
The Northern Potoo is about 38–46 cm long and weighs around 266 g.
Where does the Northern Potoo live?
Its breeding range: Middle America, North America: Mexico to Costa Rica; Greater Antilles. It is most often recorded in Belize, Mexico and Jamaica.
When is the best time to see the Northern Potoo?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and March (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Northern Potoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Northern Potoo as Least Concern.
What does the Northern Potoo eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Northern Potoo in?
It belongs to the family Potoos (Nyctibiidae), order Nyctibiiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 38–46 cm
- Weight
- 266 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 290 mm
- Tail
- 208 mm
- Bill
- 26 mm
- Tarsus
- 16 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Middle America, North America: Mexico to Costa Rica; Greater Antilles
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
Common PotooNyctibius griseus
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 reference photos. ↗
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