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Potoo


Potoo
Photo Information
Copyright: Selen Ediger (SelenE) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2358 W: 61 N: 3827] (12286)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-05-25
Categories: Birds, Rain Forest
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/60 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Map: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Birds of South America, Birds of PERU [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-06-07 1:10
Viewed: 798
Points: 45
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello friends,
I'm back from Peru. Needless to say I had a great time both in the rainforest and the highlands.

In the first week of my trip I cruised the Amazon River starting from Iquitos along the two largest tributaries of the Amazon, the Ucayali and the Marañon. I visited the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Both the wildlife and the people of the Peruvian Amazon were great.

I saw this Common Potoo on the Yarapa River (a pristine tributary of the Amazon River in Peru) in a night expedition we took with the skiffs of our vessel. It was totally dark, I used an external flash + the Flash X-Tender (Better Beamer), and our guide was also holding a spotlight. The reflection of the light in his big orange eyes was amazing...

Common Potoo(also called Grey Potoo and Lesser Potoo)
Nyctibius griseus

*It is a nocturnal bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Costa Rica to northern Argentina and northern Uruguay.

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 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.

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.
(*Source: Wikipedia)
matatur, pekkavalo1, eng55, egeerhan, boreocypriensis, uleko, maurydv, anilnediyara, Miss_Piggy, nglen, gracious, rcrick has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Raptorman: ?SelenE 1 06-08 12:25
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello and welcome back Selen,
Thank you for this beautiful nocturnal predator portrait from a flattering low viewpoint, that eye is quite mesmerising but also quite natural, since most of the nocturnal animals possess a reflective layer (the so called "tapetum" layer) behind their retinas, so even very weakly illuminated scenes register in their minds. TFS this fine patoo specimen and,
Cheers,
Mehmet

Hi Selen,

Welcome back. Excellent shot of this amazing Potoo. Great handling of lighting, good pose and composition, sharp details and very good colours.

TFS

Best wishes

Pekka

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 353 W: 3 N: 376] (1127)
  • [2008-06-07 1:26]

Merhaba Selen Hanım,
Seyyahatinizin iyi geçmesine sevindim,hoş geldiniz:)Çok güzel bir fotograf flaş kullanımı rahatsız edici değil.Tüylerdeki detaylar ve kuşun duruşu da çok güzel.Tebrikler,ellerinize sağlık!

Yippee! You're back.
What an amazing capture Selen. You have the right amount of light for all the details.
Wild eyes...for sure.
This is one bird I have never heard of before.
TFS
Big smiles...
D

Hoşgeldinnn.
Güzel bir başlangıç olmuş, ne fotograflar vardır şimdi sende ellerine saglık Selen

Oooo Selen hanım. Hoşgeldiniz sefalar getirdiniz. Artık sizi sikca burda görmek bizi mutlu edecek. Güzelim resimlerinizi özlemiştik. Nefis bir çekim, gözlerdeki yansıtıcı tabaka (Atatür hoca belirtmiş) nedeniyle gözler hemen dikkat çekiyor. Elinize sağlık. Sağlıcakla...

Bayram

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 935 W: 4 N: 2335] (10900)
  • [2008-06-07 4:00]

Hello Selen, Is this normal light from the eyes. Excellent and seeing this for the first time. Lovely POV and great composition.Ganesh

Hello Selen,
Nice to read that you had a great time there. And I know that a meeting with a Potoo in total darkness is a sensation. I met the Lesser Potoo in Brazil last summer (TN). Very beautiful photo with excellent sharpness and colours in its typical pose.
Hope to see a lot more photos of your trip.
Have a nice weekend,
Peter

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2475 W: 168 N: 7514] (23734)
  • [2008-06-07 4:04]

Hello Selen,
It sounds as if you've had another fantastic trip abroad and I look forward to your captures. This Hopoo is a superb start! Excellent night capture showing its fine plumage and typical pose. Well done!
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

Bentornata. Splendida e spettacolare cattura, eccellenti POV e composizione con la posa sulla cima del paletto, bellissimi i dettagli del piumaggio, molto belli i colori e perfetto utilizzo della luce flash con BG nero. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1149 W: 254 N: 2555] (11569)
  • [2008-06-07 7:21]

Hi Selen,

Welcome back,

You managed to capture a nice shot of this not too often seen potoo,wel captured with good use of flash light

tfs

Paul

Hi Selen,

Nice shot of rare bird. Never heard of it before, it looks very similar to frogmouths. TFS , regards
Anil

Hallo Selen
I must confess this bird is not one of my favourites, but saying so I must also admit that 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. In the human nature this one would easily be called "Old glass eye". Just shows how much one can see and learn on Trek Nature. Just as you think you have seen about all, something different comes along. Thanks for sharing.
Kind regards
Anna

  • Great 
  • darwin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 248 W: 0 N: 459] (1726)
  • [2008-06-07 10:14]

Hi Selen
Nice to see you back from the Amazon jungle safe and sound with a amazing capture of this Potoo which i have never seen or heard of before
Absolutely stunning eye
Look forward to seeing more shots from your adventure
tfs jon

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 5 N: 5602] (21160)
  • [2008-06-07 12:57]

Hi Selen. Sounds like you have a great time lucky you. We can look foward to many good pictures from the hoilday. well this is a different bird today. great notes explaining about it. good detail and natural looking colours. well done TFS.
Nick..

Hi Selen,
A very good picture about this nocturnal bird.Good details on this camouflated creature
Regards
Hernán

işin sırrı şimdi anlaşıldı, Selen hanım:) az önce size mesaj yazarken, epeydir kayıpsınız diyordum. bir de baktım Peru'dan çıkmışsınız. hoşgeldiniz tekrar.
galiba son zamanlarda ben de sıkça şehirdışına çıkınca takip edemedim notlarınızı.
kitap ve belgesellerden tanıdığım bu güzel ve ilginç kuşu, çok güzel görüntülemişsiniz. elinize sağlık. gezinin diğer karelerini de merakla bekliyorum. en azından galapagostakiler kadar güzelleri geleceğinden emeinim. selamlar.

Merhaba Selen,
Selam!!
welcome back and delighted to see your beautiful posting of Potoo, very impressive looking bird from the rainforest!
good use of flash to achieve such sharpness, good colour and details on it
many thanks for the sharing especially the useful notes regarding this species!
take care and my best wishes to you
from NZ, Tony

  • Good 
  • ridfa Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 89 W: 0 N: 375] (4094)
  • [2008-06-07 23:57]

Nice shot Selen but the eye is special.

Regards.

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1718 W: 24 N: 5002] (16380)
  • [2008-06-08 19:23]

Hi Selen,
WELCOME BACK. Splendid night shot of this Potoo in a fine pose. Great use of flash lighting and you have managed to get good details on its plumage. Excellent POV to portray this noctural predator and very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 631 W: 42 N: 1160] (3748)
  • [2008-06-09 16:32]

Hi Selen,

Welcome back and glad you had a great time in Peru, this is excellent, every time I see you post a image with this lens I know I can do better, (with practice) wonderful detail and that eye wow, lovely work, all the best,

Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 393 W: 41 N: 737] (2322)
  • [2008-06-09 22:02]

Hi Selene,
I see you already have recieved a very warm welcome back from your trip...and obviously everyone around have missed your great posts..I see that you have indeed had a great time...there are already two superb posts here...
This is one i have ever even heard about in my life...and boy! what an eye caught in the night scene here, the light truly enhances that orange eye and i like that upright pose with dark Bg.Excellent details and best use of light to produce a technically superb shot.
TFS & Cheers

Hi Selen

Good to see you had a great trip.
Good shot of the potoo under the circumstances, their eyes are weird.
Great sharpness.

Chris

Hello Selen , i'm opponent to flash using to take photos on wild birds and animals , i think this photo application causes a some stress and some fear on the all creatures also humans :)
i think this image is UNNATURAL especially on eye-detail .
Good luck and good photos ... see you...

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