Long-tailed Potoo vs White-winged Potoo
Nyctibius aethereus compared with Nyctibius leucopterus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Long-tailed Potoo | White-winged Potoo |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Nyctibius aethereus | Nyctibius leucopterus |
| Order | Caprimulgiformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Nyctibiidae | Nyctibiidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 66.4 cm (26.1 in) | 36.8 cm (14.5 in) |
| Weight | 363.5 g (12.82 oz) | 87.5 g (3.09 oz) |
| Diet | Strictly nocturnal; waits motionless on a perch then sallies to catch large flying insects, mainly … | Nocturnal aerial insectivore; launches from a branch perch to catch large flying insects including hawk-moths … |
| Clutch Size | 1 | 1 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Long-tailed Potoo
Wailing, melancholy 'waaaa-waaaa'; descending mournful notes; calls from high forest canopy at night; lower and more drawn out than Common Potoo; eerie nocturnal sound
White-winged Potoo
High, thin whistled wail; lighter and airier than other potoos; calls at night from Amazonian forest; descending mournful phrase; smaller size reflected in higher pitch
Geographic Range & Migration
Long-tailed Potoo
Found in disjunct populations in eastern Brazil, the Amazon basin, and the Guiana Shield south to Bolivia. Resident in humid forest and forest edge.
White-winged Potoo
Found in the eastern Amazon basin of Brazil and adjacent Suriname. Rare and restricted to upland forest in the Guiana Shield. Poorly known.
Conservation Status
Long-tailed Potoo
White-winged Potoo
How to Tell Them Apart
Long-tailed Potoo
Dark brown overall with heavy blackish streaks and pale buff mottling; underparts barred brown and buff; notably long tail projects well beyond wing tips; darker and browner than Great Potoo …
White-winged Potoo
Small potoo; brown upperparts with black streaks and buff mottling; distinctive white or pale buff wing coverts creating paler wing panel; underparts pale buff with dark streaks; smaller and paler-winged …
About These Birds
Long-tailed Potoo
A large potoo (43-50 cm) with a notably long graduated tail. Rich brown plumage with dark streaking. Found in humid lowland and montane forests from Central America to Brazil. Nocturnal insectivore, catching large moths and beetles in sallying flights. Rare and seldom observed.
White-winged Potoo
A small potoo (24-27 cm) recently described from the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. White patches on wing coverts distinguish it from other potoos. Nocturnal insectivore of humid lowland forest. Classified as Near Threatened due to severe Atlantic Forest fragmentation.