Alejandro Bayer Tamayo · Public domainCommon potoo
Nyctibius griseus · urutau
The bird that disguises itself as a branch and sings at night with a lament that gave rise to legends.
What it is
By day the urutaú sits motionless on the tip of a dead stump, eyes almost closed and body stretched out to look like an extension of the branch. At night it catches insects on the wing from the same perch. Its song is a series of descending, melancholy notes heard on moonlit nights, and it has inspired Guaraní legends.
Did you know…?
Its camouflage is so good that many people walk right past an urutaú without seeing it. It doesn't even build a nest: it lays a single egg in a hollow of a branch or broken trunk.
Where
Open woodland, forest edges and parks across most of the country, from the Mbaracayú Reserve to the Chaco. Listen for it on summer nights.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 2 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.