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Ada @lemmy.blahaj.zone

Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus) - Parque das Aves, Foz do Iguaçu, Brasil - December 2023

Image description: A nightjar like bird with bulging yellow eyes and tiny black pupils, sits on a log, with an open beak.

The eyes and beak in combination give the bird an amusing expression

8 comments

  • So that's what they made out of all the spare owl parts laying around! 😮

    I knew there had to be some awesome facts out there for anything this ridiculous looking.

    Fact 1 - Potoo are masters of camouflage

    They pose as a dead branch all day.

    Fact 2 - Potoo can see with their eyes closed

    These 2 slits let them see while those bright yellow eyes are hidden away.

    Fact 3 - Potoo nests are invisible

    That's because they kinda don't have one. That dead branch they spend all day sitting on? That's the nest. They already sit there all day anyway. With a minimal footprint of... none, camo becomes easy. They just toss out any poop and then there's nothing to see or smell for anything looking for a nest.

    Fact 4 - Potoo start training early

    Baby Potoo learn the Potoo Pose right away to stay alive.

    Which Potoo fact was the best?

    I liked the stealthy eyes.

    • I love their patience! They're very similar to Tawny Frogmouths here in Australia, who both do the whole "I'm a stick" thing all day.

      • I had previously preferred the Frogmouth to the Potoo because it didn't look as silly, but now after my fact finding, I'm a bit split.

        I wouldn't make a good Potoo or Frogmouth. I don't think I've ever sat still for more than 30 seconds in my life!

        Thanks for posting the Bin Chicken a while back. It was fun to learn about that, mainly for the name. I believe it is the White Ibis we have in Florida and they were always snatching people's food whenever we were at Disney World. They just made me think they were basically fancy seagulls due to their constant pestering.

        Do Australians ever get excited or weirded out at common American animals? Since all your stuff we get worked up about is fairly normal to you since you live there, does it work the other way where an Australian would get excited to see some animal that is boring to us? Bears? Elk or Moose? Rattlesnakes? It's hard thinking of things that might be strange for someone else...

8 comments