Laboratório de Tecnologia Educacional BIBLIOTECA DIGITAL               DE CIÊNCIAS

37cm It is a unique bird that can only be confused with other Potoos, from which it differs by being mostly gray. Not like any other bird, the Potoo is one of the best camouflaged birds on earth. It spends the whole day quietly perched on a carefully chosen branch in a way it blends with the substrate as the bird seems to be part of the tree. The large orange eyes, which could be a flaw for the camouflage are wisely covered by eyelids with a tiny fold in the middle, from which the bird can see the surroundings as the pupil is exposed while the orange iris is hidden. In the night the bird leaves its perch flying as a falcon in hunt for flying insects that it catches with its huge mouth...

30cm Members of the Caprimulgidae family are very difficult to tell apart. The best clues to recognize the Pauraque are its very typical song and the fact that it is one of the few nighthawks to get so close to urban areas. The Pauraque spends the whole day quietly sat on the ground, so well camouflaged that it is almost impossible to see. It remains quiet when approached, but when you are too close the bird flies in a fast zig-zag, and lands few meters away. It is curious to notice that even landing close it is difficult to see. The eggs are laid directly on the ground and have an earthy color. The Pauraque can be easily seen on dirt tracks at night, when its eyes reflect the cars’...