Nyctibius aethereus
Silhouette: Dominic Sherony (photo) and Albertonykus (silhouette) · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The long-tailed potoo (Nyctibius aethereus) is a species of bird in the family Nyctibiidae. It is found in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay. Several authors maintain that longicaudatus should be treated as a separate species with chocoensis as a subspecies of it.
The long-tailed potoo is 42 to 58 cm (17 to 23 in) long and weighs 280 to 447 g (9.9 to 15.8 oz). The nominate subspecies' upperparts are tawny brown. The crown and nape have buff spots and speckles and blackish brown streaks. The mantle, back, and rump are mottled brown and buff and have blackish brown streaks. The tail is graduated and overall brown, with tawny buff barring and brown streaks or vermiculation. Much of the face is tawny and it has a buffish "moustache". The wings are generally brown with broad pale tawny bars. The chin and throat are grayish buff. The breast and flanks are brown with buff speckles, blackish brown streaks, and bold buff and blackish brown spots. The lower belly is buff with brown streaks... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 5 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 7 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Long-tailed Potoo sighting in Yasuní National Park on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 415th most-seen of the 533 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Long-tailed Potoo in Yasuní National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Long-tailed Potoo sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Long-tailed Potoo sightings, Yasuní National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (Ecuador, under 5%) and Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, under 5%).
Same genus: Nyctibius
The closest relatives of the Long-tailed Potoo that you can see in Yasuní National Park (genus Nyctibius, Typical Potoos) are Great Potoo (about 10%) and Common Potoo (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Long-tailed Potoo is recorded against all the birds logged in Yasuní National Park (39 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
