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Lesser Potoo


Lesser Potoo
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter van Zoest (PeterZ) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1199 W: 68 N: 2473] (8159)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-08-10
Categories: Birds
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/60 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-02-01 12:51
Viewed: 877
Points: 66
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Late in the evening we were sailing in a boat and it became dark. Suddenly we saw this bird in the light of a pocket-lantern.

The Lesser Potoo or Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus), is a nocturnal bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and northern Uruguay. The Northern Potoo (N. jamaicensis) was formerly classified as a subspecies of this species.
This potoo is a large near passerine bird related to the nightjars and frogmouths, but like other potoos it lacks the bristles around the mouth found in the true nightjars. It is 33-38cm long and pale greyish to brown, finely patterned with black and buff, camouflaged to look like a log; this is a safety measure to help protect it from predators, but its mode of perch is also a camouflage. It has large orange eyes.
The Lesser Potoo is a resident breeder in open woodlands and savannah. It avoids cooler montane regions, rarely occurring over 1,900 meters above sea level even in the hottest parts of its range. The single lilac-spotted white egg is laid directly in a depression in a tree limb.
This nocturnal insectivore hunts from a perch like a shrike or flycatcher. During the day it perches upright on a tree stump, and is completely invisible, looking like part of the stump because it stays so completely still as it perches.
The Lesser Potoo can be located at night by the reflection of light from its eyes as it sits on a post, or by its haunting melancholic song, a BO-OU, BO-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou, bo-ou dropping in both pitch and volume.
Source: Wikipedia.

boreocypriensis, rousettus, nglen, Jamesp, Luis52, timonejoon, jaycee, MMM, Pentaxfriend, darwin, marhowie, Dan, ramthakur, Adanac, Argus, warnzy, Miss_Piggy, SelenE, Silvio2006, dejo, eqshannon, jusninasirun, henrique, Tamrock has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Pentaxfriend: dobberende bootPeterZ 1 02-02 01:01
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Peter,
A wonderful capture of this nice nocturnal bird indicating its interesting camuuflage! All splendid! Well done! TFS.
Cheers,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1988 W: 5 N: 5524] (20880)
  • [2008-02-01 13:07]

Hi Peter. What a strange looking bird this is one i have never seen . somthing quite different. good detail well done TFS. good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1251 W: 0 N: 4829] (14332)
  • [2008-02-01 13:11]

Hi Peter

Amazing shot of this amazing bird - the way you have captured the eye says it all about the bird.

James

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1022 W: 5 N: 2801] (10142)
  • [2008-02-01 13:22]

Hola Peter.
Una foto muy espectacular de esta ave nocturna.
sus ojos lucen muy bellos por el reflejo del flsh. Me agrada la pose tambien, y la nota es exelente.
Have a nice weekend Peter.
Luis52.

Hi Peter

Such an amazing bird, wow. Never heard before. very usefull information, with a nice shot. excelent use of flash and nice composition.
Well done
TFS

Timon

  • Great 
  • lizzie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 214 W: 0 N: 635] (2843)
  • [2008-02-01 13:58]

Hi peter,

What an interesting bird that you're showing us today. Like in your note, very good camouflaged from his predators but unfortunately I think that his beautiful bright eye is not an advantage for him. As for you you've captured it beautifully! Well done.

Lise

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1778 W: 8 N: 4597] (14871)
  • [2008-02-01 14:08]

Hi Peter,

You are introducing me to yet another new bird. He certainly is unusual looking and that big orange eye is striking. Beautiful plummage with fine detail. He looks marvelous against the black baground. I'm glad you spotted him and were able to share him with us.

Jane

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 751 W: 0 N: 1506] (6872)
  • [2008-02-01 14:21]

Hi Peter
That is an outstanding presentation.Excellent POV and very sharp image of a species I had never seen.Very well done
TFS Michel

amazing bird, TFS Ori

Ha Peter,

Prachtig shot van deze apparte vogel
goede scherpte en compo
vreemd oog
hoe heb je dit stil kunnen houden op een dobberende boot?

TFS Thijs

  • Great 
  • darwin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 245 W: 0 N: 453] (1708)
  • [2008-02-01 19:04]

Hi Peter
What a unusual and amazing capture
Wonderful presentation
tfs jon

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 511 W: 8 N: 1096] (4054)
  • [2008-02-01 22:15]

Hello Peter,
it's late and I only have time to mark your photo
Congratulations and well done..

Everton

Great in the wild catch of this nocturnal bird Peter, hard to do..Those enlarged night vision eyes make the shot..
It's well composed with clear details, and it stands very well from the black BG of course.
Well done!!
Howard

  • Great 
  • Dan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 112 W: 0 N: 351] (1727)
  • [2008-02-02 3:56]

Hi Peter,

What a strange bird! Never seen efore. Excellent photo !
Congratulation, Dan

I have never seen this bird before, Peter.
I guess this is the first of its kind on TN.
The image is impressive, especially that yellow eye.
TFS.
Ram

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1043 W: 1 N: 4096] (13768)
  • [2008-02-02 6:45]

Hello Peter,
Excellent notes compliment this wonderful image. Your great camera work results in a beautiful composition with sharp details and very natural colors.
Rick

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2596 W: 133 N: 7433] (23169)
  • [2008-02-02 6:51]

Hello Peter,
Fine capture of this unusual bird, the Lesser Potoo taken using flash. The eye is the most striking feature but the rest of the bird is well shown in this excellent composition.
Thanks for sharing this oneIvan

I have seen the Northern Potoo in Trinidad but that was before I took up photography!

Hi Peter,

This is such an unusual looking bird and it really is difficult to see where the bird and the branch begins. Really well taken in clearly very difficult circumstances - I'm guessing the light wasn't great!

Mike

Hello Peter,
Great capture of this camouflage master. I have never seen birds of this group in nature, but I know them from literature and documentary film. I saw only Caprimulgus from similar camouflage master. It with large and circle eye looks like a partion of dried trunk. Nicely focused and composed. POV also very nice. TFS, have a nice weekend.

Hallo Peter
I looked at your gallery this morning and once again come to realise that you have a gallery with a variety of some colourful, some strange and some unknown to me birds.
I must confess this Lesser Potoo is not one of my favourites. But saying so I must also admit that it is the first time I have seen a bird like this. If it was not for the very bright pearl coloured and shaped eye, I am sure one would easily not notice it. It camouflage itself well and the colour of its plumage is very similar than that of the branch. Just shows how much one can see and learn on Trek Nature. Thanks for sharing.
Kind regards
Anna

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2339 W: 59 N: 3777] (12120)
  • [2008-02-03 4:09]

Hi Peter,
What an interesting bird... I've never seen or heard of it before. It's camouflage ability is amazing. Thanks for sharing this.
Best wishes,
Selen

Hi Peter,
Merci de nos faire connaître un oiseau inconnu ici, très impressionnant.
Merci
Marie

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2458 W: 168 N: 7420] (23432)
  • [2008-02-03 6:40]

Hello Peter,
How lucky to have captured this mysterious Potoo in the dark! It looks a bit like a Frogmouth too. Great capture showing sharp details. Interesting note too.
Many thanks, Ulla

Hi Peter, splendid nocturne capture of this strange bird, I never see before, thanks, good details and excellent sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

Fantastic !
What a strange animal, Night result is excellent, focus is just great with wonderfull and stuning details, great sharpness and very fine composition,
cheer Peter
friendly,
Pat

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 355 W: 51 N: 476] (2056)
  • [2008-02-03 10:03]

Hello Peter,
What a strange and fascinating bird! I would love to see one! The eye is captured nicelly,
beautiful presentation,
thanks!
Dejan

I have a Sony with night vision..I wonder if it would pick up something as this...hmmmm... it shows that it can not only hide by the dark but by the perch. Interesting things to consider and I do try to consider all things...I can see myself down there...and not knowing left from right, more or less aviary creatures I have never heard of...Your knowledge is good and you pass on lessons well...
Bob

Hello Peter,

Thanks for sharing this bird that I've never seen before. Excellent details and well shot at night with dark background. All have been said and all I can add is another two points.

Brilliant!!!

Regards,
Jusni

Olá Peter..

A camuflagem deste camarada é de dar inveja a qualquer um !!!
Esta espécie muito me encanta por sua beleza exótica e curiosa !
Parabéns ótima imagem com cores e foco excelete !
Abraços

I can hardly believe this is a bird! That's incredible - and such a perfect photo! TFS!!

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-02-06 19:40]

Hello Peter

This is an amazing capture and very unusual.
Very good on the detail and focus.
The plumage shows well,it blends in so well with the texture of the branch.
Excellent POV.
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1144 W: 254 N: 2542] (11521)
  • [2008-02-07 1:51]

Ha Peter,

Een aparte gebeurtenis,fraai vastgelegd,denk dat het niet meeviel om deze te vinden,wellicht het reflecteren van de ogen,bedankt

Paul

hi peter!
what a amazing bird!
very interesting to see this
tfs

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