The Common Potoo

The Common, or Greater Potoo is part of the frogmouth, nightjar and nighthawk family.  These birds are well adapted for flying and, in fact, cannot walk or hop.  They spend their days roosting, mimicking tree branches and their nights darting after prey.  These birds are nocturnal and feed mostly on flying insects. 
     Their bodies are quite round, and their heads and eyes are very large.  The most unique and distinguishing factor however, is their extremely wide, gaping mouths.  These mouths must be wide to capture insects as they dive out of trees.  The potoo's tail and wings are also adapted for their lifestyle, they're long and wide, enabling them to maneuver after their prey.   
     These animals can reach a length of 13-15 inches and weigh around 5-7 ounces.  They are cryptically colored and between their camouflage and stock-still pose, they are hard to distinguish from the tree branches they use as perches.