Listen to the common potoo
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the common potoo
The common potoo is a bird in the family Nyctibiidae (order Caprimulgiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 242 g.
What does the common potoo sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
The recordings here are labelled as song. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The common potoo (Nyctibius griseus), also known as the kakuy or urutaú, is one of seven species of birds within the genus Nyctibius. It is notable for its large, yellow eyes and a wide mouth. Potoos are nocturnal and are related to nightjars and frogmouths. They lack the characteristic bristles around the mouths of true nightjars.
Related birds in the genus Nyctibius
Frequently asked questions
What does a common potoo sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the common potoo on this page, including its song. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the common potoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the common potoo as “least concern”.
What family does the common potoo belong to?
The common potoo (Nyctibius griseus) belongs to the family Nyctibiidae in the order Caprimulgiformes.
Sources & credits
- Song · Santa Fé, Santa Fe, Provincia de Veraguas, Panama by Seralia Martínez – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Napo: km 11.6 Narupa-Loreto road, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1258935 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Common potoo – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Luizalves1990 – CC BY-SA 4.0