Northern potoo

Appearance

It is a fairly large bird with a length of 38-46 centimetres. It has a long tail, long pointed wings, large head, very short legs and a small bill with a large gape. It is most commonly seen perched motionless in an upright position on branches or posts. The plumage is grey-brown with an intricate pattern of black, grey and cream markings. The cheeks are pale with a dark malar stripe below them. The large eye has a yellow iris which can shine red in light at night. The bird's calls are hoarse and guttural.

The common potoo is virtually identical in appearance but has a very different voice consisting of a series of mournful, wailing whistles. The great potoo is larger and paler with no dark malar stripe.

Naming

It has five subspecies distributed across Middle America and the West Indies. ''N. j. jamaicensis'' is restricted to Jamaica while ''N. j. abbotti'' is found on Hispaniola with a single report from Mona Island in Puerto Rico. ''N. j. lambi'' is found in western Mexico extending north as far as southern Sinaloa. ''N. j. mexicanus'' occurs in southern and eastern Mexico north to southern parts of San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas as well as in Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. ''N. j. costaricensis'' is the most southerly form, occurring in western Nicaragua and north-west Costa Rica.

Distribution

It has five subspecies distributed across Middle America and the West Indies. ''N. j. jamaicensis'' is restricted to Jamaica while ''N. j. abbotti'' is found on Hispaniola with a single report from Mona Island in Puerto Rico. ''N. j. lambi'' is found in western Mexico extending north as far as southern Sinaloa. ''N. j. mexicanus'' occurs in southern and eastern Mexico north to southern parts of San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas as well as in Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. ''N. j. costaricensis'' is the most southerly form, occurring in western Nicaragua and north-west Costa Rica.

Habitat

It mainly occurs in lowland areas where it inhabits woodland and scrubland with clearings and farmland with scattered trees. It is sometimes seen around golf courses and urban areas. It feeds on large insects such as moths or beetles. It hunts from a perch, sitting and waiting for prey then sallying out to catch it in flight.

A single egg is laid on a broken branch with no nest material used. Both parents are involved in incubating the egg and feeding the young bird.