22 June 2019 | New Scientist | 29IF YOU had to look twice,
then the trick has worked. This
common potoo (Nyctibius griseus)
was spotted in Utría National
Natural Park, Colombia, using its
chief defence against predators:
disguising itself as a branch.
During the day, the bird
perches motionless on a tree for
long periods, with both parents
taking turns to incubate a single
egg. Their posture, plus their
mottled brown and grey plumage,
makes the perfect camouflage.
As it is a nocturnal bird, the
potoo has huge yellow eyes. In
daylight, it must peer through
narrow slits to watch out for
potential threats so that its
eyes don’t give the game away.
At dusk, however, it transforms
into a voracious hunter of
moths and flying beetles.
The common potoo is
found in woodlands and
savannah in Central and South
America, although its habitat is in
decline. In Peru, its haunting song,
a mournful series of descending
notes, is said to evoke a lost
child calling for its mother. ❚Don’t move...
Photographer Chien C. Lee
Agency Minden PicturesClare WilsonLike wildlife photography?
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