Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-winged Potoo
Nyctibius leucopterus
White-winged Potoo (Nyctibius leucopterus) — Nightjars & Allies of South America.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-winged Potoo (Nyctibius leucopterus) is a member of the Nyctibiidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 86.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Nyctibiiformes
- Family Nyctibiidae Potoos
- Genus Nyctibius
- Species leucopterus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 86.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Nyctibiidae
- Order
- Nyctibiiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-winged Potoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-winged Potoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-winged Potoo (Nyctibius leucopterus) is a species of bird in the Nyctibiidae family, part of the order Nyctibiiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Amazonia.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 86.4 g, with a wing length of about 18.4 cm and a tail of around 12.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-winged Potoo?
The White-winged Potoo is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 86.4 g.
Where does the White-winged Potoo live?
The White-winged Potoo is found across South America with a range covering SA Amazonia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-winged Potoo belong to?
The White-winged Potoo (Nyctibius leucopterus) belongs to the Nyctibiidae family, in the order Nyctibiiformes.
What does the White-winged Potoo eat?
The White-winged Potoo is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-winged Potoo migrate?
The White-winged Potoo is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-winged Potoo endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the White-winged Potoo make?
1 real field recording of the White-winged Potoo — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-winged Potoo's range?
The White-winged Potoo has a mapped global range of about 2.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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