Listen to the great potoo
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the great potoo
The great potoo is a bird in the family Nyctibiidae (order Caprimulgiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”.
What does the great 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 great potoo or grand potoo (Nyctibius grandis) is the largest potoo species and is widely distributed in Central and South America.
Much like owls, this species is nocturnal. It preys on large insects and small vertebrates, which it captures in sallies from high perches.
Related birds in the genus Nyctibius
Frequently asked questions
What does a great potoo sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the great 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 great potoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the great potoo as “least concern”.
What family does the great potoo belong to?
The great potoo (Nyctibius grandis) belongs to the family Nyctibiidae in the order Caprimulgiformes.
Sources & credits
- Song · Napo: Napo Galeras, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1262284 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Great potoo – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Allissondias – CC BY-SA 4.0